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FALL RIVER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A portion of the raised Route 79 along the Fall River waterfront has been shut down to accommodate crews moving the roadway to make way for a street-level pedestrian boulevard. According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the intent is to create a ground-level roadway linking the city and its waterfront with more direct routes and easier access.
WBZ's Kim Tunnicliffe spoke to a few Fall River residents for their thoughts on the big traffic changes.
"Beautiful view down there, hopefully someday it will be like Newport, Rhode Island. I've waited all my life for this," one resident said.
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Though not everyone agreed, Kacy of Fall River says the changes could make for some drastic traffic reroutes.
"My boyfriend takes that highway to get to work— he's going to have to find an alternate route and I feel like other people will have to find alternate routes," Kacy said.
"I think it's absolutely ridiculous, it's been there my whole life, once they change that— where the hell is all that traffic going to go?" another resident said.
The project that's expected to wrap in the fall of 2026 aims to open up park-like areas, and make for 19 acres of developable land.
WBZ's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports.
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