New Bedford’s New Pedestrian Bridge Lights the Way to the Future

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — New Bedford’s new pedestrian bridge is now fully lit at night, allowing for safe pedestrian access across Route 18 as South Coast Rail tickets are now available ahead of next Monday’s launch.

It was also announced that South Coast Rail would be completely fare-free through March, improving on the already-promised free weekend service through March and April.

While the structure lights the way to downtown New Bedford's new train station at the Whale's Tooth parking lot, it also lights the way to the future – a future where rail service to Boston is finally, after decades of delays, a reality.

The bridge features illuminated archways and a series of lights both across its base and down its stairways. The elevator shaft also is lighted at the top.

Fencing is still up around the entrances to the bridge, meaning it is not yet available for the public to cross.

Originally, the MBTA had planned to build a much less intricate bridge that would have reportedly cost in the area of $8 million, but New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell pushed back on that design plan and got the MBTA to agree.

“That’s taken a lot of work, a lot of contentious conversations over the last several months, but we apply the same standards there that we apply everywhere,” he said on WBSM back in 2022. “If you’re building in New Bedford, it’s got to look good.”

The now-$21 million bridge was built by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority to serve the New Bedford station of South Coast Rail, replacing the previous pedestrian bridge that will soon be dismantled.

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The new bridge is also set to be named for U.S. Army Corporal Andre A. Lopes, just as the current bridge has been named for the New Bedford native and World War II and Korean War hero since it was first dedicated in 1977.

Previously, the Massachusetts House and Senate had voted favorably for the new bridge to be named after Lopes, but Mayor Jon Mitchell said recently that the City of New Bedford would need to formally name it since the bridge was transferred to City control from the MBTA once construction was complete.

READ MORE: New Bedford's Official South Coast Rail Schedule

South Coast Rail service is set to launch next Monday, March 24 with 14 weekday trains departing from New Bedford, and 15 trains running from Boston to New Bedford, as well as weekend and holiday trains. Tickets for South Coast Rail officially went on sale today on the MBTA’s mTicket app.