New Bedford’s New $21 Million Pedestrian Bridge Taking Shape Over Route 18

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — The brand new pedestrian bridge being constructed over Route 18 in New Bedford is beginning to take shape.

The arches that span the length of the bridge have now been installed, and drivers can now see exactly what the bridge will look like when it comes to life ahead of the beginning of South Coast Rail service in New Bedford.

The bridge spans Route 18 from Purchase Street on one side to the Whale’s Tooth parking lot on the other side.

An elevator has also been constructed on the parking lot side as well, although that part of the structure is still wrapped.

The $21 million bridge is being paid for entirely by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority as part of the South Coast Rail project, which the MBTA recently announced would be completed in Spring 2025.

Originally, the MBTA sought to build a cheaper bridge that emphasized function over form. Mayor Jon Mitchell said on WBSM in 2022 that he had been pushing back for a better design that would be an iconic structure for New Bedford.

“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 at the time. “If you’re building in New Bedford, it’s got to look good.”

In January 2023, the New Bedford City Council approved the memorandum of understanding for the $21 million bridge.

“New Bedford deserves public amenities and spaces that are both functional and beautiful. For a highly visible structure like this pedestrian bridge, excellence in design is a must,” Mitchell said when the agreement was finalized.

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“We have achieved that goal with this design, and I am grateful for the collaborative efforts between our team and the MBTA’s,” he said. “The result will be a new city landmark of which we can all be proud.”