FALL RIVER The state has finished rebuilding the Route 79 and Davol Street corridor in Fall River, the $115 million project that took down a mile-long elevated highway along the Taunton River and put a street-level boulevard in its place, and Gov. Maura Healey marked the end of the work at the site Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll joined state and local officials for the event, the governor's office said in a release that the Fall River Reporter published Wednesday evening. Healey spoke from a podium in a grassy field between the northbound and southbound sides of Route 79, the State House News Service reported.
What was built
Construction began in 2023, according to the release. The rebuilt corridor has four cross streets that connect neighborhoods to the waterfront, about two miles of sidewalks and more than two miles of shared-use paths for people on foot and on bikes. It also has upgraded traffic signals, landscaping, stormwater infrastructure and room for new public green space, the release said.
The work was done with union labor, the release said, and its awards include the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' 2026 Quality of Life/Community Development Award and the American Society of Highway Engineers New England Project of the Year for 2025 in the category for projects of more than $100 million.
What officials said
"For too long, Route 79 separated Fall River neighborhoods from their waterfront. Today, we're changing that," Healey said in the release.
Mayor Paul Coogan said the redevelopment of the corridor "is vital to the local economy" and thanked the administration "for providing the funding needed to make this project a reality." State Sen. Michael J. Rodrigues, chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said the new access to the waterfront "will greatly impact the neighborhood for generations to come."
Phillip Eng, the interim secretary of transportation and MBTA general manager, said MassDOT would keep working with the city "to develop these parcels and bring new housing, jobs, and economic opportunity to the South Coast."
The 20 acres
Taking the highway down freed about 20 acres of waterfront land next to the MBTA's Fall River Depot commuter rail station, which the release called one of the region's largest opportunities for development built around transit. MassDOT put the land out to bid this year for a mixed-use district.
MassDOT opened three bids for the land on Oct. 21, the Fall River Reporter reported. Anthony Cordeiro Properties of Fall River offered $10.34 million, a joint bid from Mark Development and Wood Partners offered $13.97 million, and The Michaels Organization offered $15.2 million. MassDOT, which controls the land, will review the proposals before it names a designated developer, the Reporter said.
A master plan commissioned by the Fall River Redevelopment Authority calls for about 1,480 rental units, 61,000 square feet of commercial space and 2,200 parking spaces on the land, and MassDOT will weigh how closely each bid matches it, according to the Reporter.
Six days before the election
The stop was an official state event and not part of Healey's reelection campaign, the News Service reported. Healey, a Democrat, faces Republican nominee Mike Minogue in the Nov. 3 election, and Minogue plans a campaign rally in Fall River on Friday, Oct. 30, according to the News Service.
What happens next
MassDOT's pick of a designated developer for the 20 acres is the next decision on the corridor. Our Oct. 21 story has more on the three bidders. South Coast 360 will update this story when MassDOT names a developer.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
The project facts and the officials' words come from the governor's office release, which the Fall River Reporter published in full Wednesday evening, Oct. 28. Where Healey spoke, that it was an official event and the campaign dates come from the State House News Service. The bid amounts and the master plan figures come from the Fall River Reporter's Oct. 21 report. We read all three on Oct. 28 and checked each date and weekday against a calendar. South Coast 360 is asking MassDOT when it will name a developer for the 20 acres.
Corrections
No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.
Sources (3)
- Fall River Reporter, "Massachusetts Gov. Healey, local delegation, celebrate completion of Route 79-Davol Street improvements in Fall River" (Oct. 28, 2026, 6:45 p.m.), publishing the governor's office releaseThe completion event, the $115 million cost, the mile-long elevated highway, construction since 2023, the four cross streets, sidewalks, shared-use paths, signals and drainage, union labor, the two awards, the 20 acres and Fall River Depot, and Driscoll at the event, and the quotes from Healey, Eng, Rodrigues and Coogan. Read Oct. 28, 2026.
- State House News Service, "'Boo Maura Healey!': Driver heckles governor at Fall River waterfront event," by Colin A. Young, as published by the Fall River Reporter (Oct. 28, 2026, 6:48 p.m.)Where Healey spoke, that the stop was an official event, the Nov. 3 election and Minogue's Friday rally in Fall River. Read Oct. 28, 2026.
- Fall River Reporter, "Three bidders, including Fall River's Tony Cordeiro, vie to redevelop 20 acres along Route 79" (Oct. 21, 2026, 5:15 p.m.)The three bids and amounts, MassDOT's review before it names a designated developer, and the Redevelopment Authority master plan figures. Read Oct. 28, 2026.