It’s been a common criticism: while Fall River deals with an array of social and economic problems, the state chose to spend $16.8 million on lighting up the Braga Bridge instead.
On July 7, the bridge’s new lights turned on, concluding a three-year process that overhauled its electrical system, replacing its aging wiring, road illumination and navigational lighting. The project’s total cost ballooned from an original estimate of $8 million.
To hear the state tell it at the time, adding color-changing ornamental lights was just a part of the overall repairs. But records obtained by The Herald News show that so-called "aesthetic lighting" was actually the costliest part of the project, by far.
MassDOT's July press release said ornamental lighting "was requested by the City and local government officials."
But how much of the project’s total price tag actually went to ornamental lights, as opposed to upgrades to aging electrical systems the state deemed "unsafe"? And what contributed to the cost overrun?
The Herald News requested contract documents and cost breakdowns from MassDOT in August. On Sept. 18, the agency fulfilled the request.
According to those records, the whole project ended up costing about $17,425,856.
The bridge’s new look accounted for most of the project’s cost: about $10.3 million, according to MassDOT spokesperson John Goggin.
In contract documents, not all line items are clearly sorted into ornamental and safety categories. Those clearly related to “aesthetic lighting” add up to $7,796,800.
That includes $1.63 million for the lights’ control system, $1.577 million for “upper aesthetic lighting supports,” $2,595,200 for lower supports and $1,994,600 for flood lights.
Several line items, such as those for removing old wiring, could be indirectly or partially related to the ornamental lights.
The state’s $10.3 million calculation includes “aesthetic light fixtures, the supports and structural bridge modifications, supporting electrical infrastructure and distribution, control infrastructure and distribution, bridge access and work,” Goggin wrote.
See more at heraldnews.com.
