The New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge is a swing truss bridge which connects
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. Up throug ...
with
Fairhaven, Massachusetts
Fairhaven (Massachusett: ) is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the South Coast of Massachusetts where the Acushnet River flows into Buzzards Bay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. The town shares a harbor wit ...
.
Between New Bedford and Fairhaven
The bridge is actually one of three bridges crossing the
Acushnet River between the two communities. The entire four lane stretch carries
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...
between the two communities. A short, span crosses between the mainland of New Bedford just west of McArthur Drive to Fish Island, the smaller western island in the river. From there, after a stretch of highway connects the two spans, the main New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge crosses from Fish Island to Pope's Island. This span includes the main span (see below). Once on Pope's Island, another stretch of highway connects to the third and longest span, a low,
trestle bridge between Pope's Island and the town of Fairhaven, with the town line falling on the bridge. The entire stretch is just over between the two shores.
The main span
While many maps include all three spans as one "New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge", only the middle span between the two is the actual bridge. This span, which was built between 1897 and 1899, is the one which includes the swing truss across the main channel into the northern half of the harbor. The entire bridge, approaches included, is approximately long, with the swing span being mostly west of the center of the bridge. The bridge still opens on a regular basis, with daily openings to allow the fishing fleet in and out of the inner harbor.
The bridge has been repaired numerous times in its lifetime, though there are occasional closings due to jammed gears.
Major rehabilitation
In 2022, a $100 million planning study was funded by the
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) oversees roads, public transit, aeronautics, and transportation licensing and registration in the US state of Massachusetts. It was created on November 1, 2009, by the 186th Session of t ...
(MassDOT) to determine how the antiquated bridge might be replaced, and public meetings have been held to gain input on the needs of the region in replacing the structure.
, MassDOT has announced it plans to replace the bridge with a
vertical lift bridge. Construction is expected to begin in 2027. City officials from New Bedford have raised concerns about the new bridge's imposed height limit, aesthetics, and the speed of bridge openings.
See also
*
List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Massachusetts
*
*
*
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:New Bedford - Fairhaven Bridge
Buildings and structures in New Bedford, Massachusetts
Bridges in Bristol County, Massachusetts
Road bridges in Massachusetts
U.S. Route 6
Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System
Historic American Engineering Record in Massachusetts
Steel bridges in the United States
1900 establishments in Massachusetts