SHELBURNE FALLS, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — The historic Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls has re-opened to the public. The bridge had been closed since last summer for much-needed repairs.
An official ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Monday, August 18 at 2:00 p.m., but with the Bridge of Flowers Committee anxious to welcome visitors back to the bridge, a soft re-opening occurred on Friday. The bridge is now open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Here is the official press release from the Bridge of Flowers Committee:
SHELBURNE FALLS — One year and three weeks after the Bridge of Flowers was closed for vital repair work, it has reopened.
An official reopening ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for Monday, Aug. 18 at 2 p.m. near Buckland Town Hall, but the Bridge of Flowers Committee, anxious to reopen the span as soon as it was safe to do so, were able to enact a “soft” opening on Friday, July 11.
In August, state and local officials and others who worked on the project in various capacities are expected to be present to offer comments and celebrate the reopening.
“I am thrilled that we are able to reopen the bridge,” says Bridge of Flowers Committee Co-Chair Annette Szpila. “It has been a Herculean task to take the Bridge of Flowers apart and reassemble it again. We could not have done this without the talented gardeners — Head Gardener Carol DeLorenzo and Assistant Gardener Elliston Bingham — that we are blessed to have making their magic happen.”
The $3,198,000 project saw the iconic span stripped of every inch of soil and plantings, its pathway, lighting, railings, and the crucial water line that carries potable water to Buckland residents.
The scope of work included sandblasting and repainting, demolishing the failed wall and replacing it, concrete crack and spall repair, backfilling the bridge, and installing a new water main, irrigation system, handrail, lighting, and pathway. New metal arbors and memorial stands have been crafted by Justin Morrell of Morrell Metalsmiths. Bob Compton and Scott Rollins refurbished the kiosks Compton had made.
That’s in addition to replanting all the plants that were carefully dug and rehoused and cared for around town and the addition of hundreds of new plantings.
“We are grateful to so many people who helped us on and off the bridge, tending off-site gardens as well as those on the bridge and also to those of you who were so patient and kind with words of encouragement; that meant a lot to all of us,” Szpila says. “I hope when you are able to walk the bridge again, you are able to take the time to notice all the lovely new hardscape we have added as well as a blending of baby perennials and lovely annuals to show off the amazing possibilities that can inspire you in your own gardens. Welcome back; enjoy the show.”
Szpila notes that when the new lighting arrives, the bridge will likely be closed for a period of time those days for installation. Otherwise, the bridge is now open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Getting started
The project got off with a bit of a snag when the sole bid came in over the original $2,298,000 awarded for the job by MassWorks, but the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED) amended the initial MassWorks award, allocating an additional $900,000.
Shelburne Falls Water Commission Chair Ron Dobosz thinks having one bid was actually lucky because Northern Construction Service, LLC of Palmer, MA was that bidder and subsequently served as general contractor.
“I can’t say enough about the contractors,” says Dobosz. “Northern Construction was outstanding. Rain, snow, sleet — they did not quit and diligently worked to stay on schedule. We were really lucky.”
Dobosz also credits State Rep. Natalie Blais and Sen. Paul Mark and the staff at Franklin Regional Council of Governments for their help, along with the Bridge of Flowers Committee.
“They worked with the state to secure the needed money for the repair,” Dobosz says. “Without their help, it would not have been possible. That kind of money — $3 million — that isn’t done by selling cookies. It takes a lot of hard work by a lot of people.”
Interim Secretary Ashley Stolba of Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development intends to be here for the ribbon-cutting.
“Massachusetts has a lot to offer its visitors – there’s a special place for everyone to explore,” she says. “For over 90 years, the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls has drawn tourists and inspired visitors from near and far. We’re proud to support its reopening with MassWorks funding, in collaboration with the state legislative delegation. Restoring this iconic floral landmark will strengthen the region’s tourism industry and drive economic activity in Shelburne and Buckland.”
Dobosz also credits engineers Tighe & Bond for their diligence.
“Their engineers were out in the inclement weather,” he says. “I didn’t stop to bug them because I knew they were under the watchful eye of the Bridge Committee and they didn’t need us as fire district commissioners to over see them. And of course, our Rebekah [Shelburne Falls Water Department Superintendent Rebekah McDermott]
does a fine job and was keeping an eyeball on it.”
Dobosz notes the Water District’s main job is to supply water to the Buckland side of the Deerfield River.
“What we did was instead of putting two lines in side by side, we put hydrants on each side of the bridge so you can connect a firehose and the downtime for water would be a minimum.”
Tighe & Bond overseeing engineer Zach Chornyak, a West County native, says his firm is “proud to have played a key role in the Bridge of Flowers project, beginning with our structural evaluation followed by our design, permitting, and construction phase support services through completion of the bridge.”
“As one of the most iconic landmarks in western Massachusetts, the Bridge of Flowers is not only a treasured community asset but also a significant driver of regional tourism,” Chornyak says. “It has been an honor to contribute to the preservation and continued legacy of this remarkable structure. We extend our sincere thanks to all who made this project possible, including the Shelburne Falls Fire District, the Bridge of Flowers Committee, Northern Construction, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, State Representative Natalie Blais, and the many individuals and organizations who supported the project through the Massachusetts Community One Stop for Growth Program.”
“We’re glad it’s done,” says Dobosz. “Everyone was just outstanding, from the construction crew to the gardeners.”
The garden centerpiece
DeLorenzo, Bingham, and the Blossom Brigade of volunteers, plus many other hands, were faced with a once-in-a-lifetime task.
The last time the bridge was closed for repairs and stripped was in 1984.
DeLorenzo has been designing and tending to the bridge garden since 2000 and knows its every vicissitude.
“During my 25-year tenure as the head gardener for the Bridge of Flowers, we have weathered many changes. This time of complete dismantling of the gardens for the noble purpose of bolstering the bridge structure itself has been the most far-reaching,” she says. “People near and far are eager to get back to the nuanced and ebullient display I crafted over this quarter century. I invite all to join me with patience and curiosity as we move forward from the ground up to grow a new garden that will inspire and delight. I fully appreciate the fortified and upgraded elements installed by the engineers and construction team — the new canvas on which to design.”
Asked her overall vision for the new garden, DeLorenzo says it is one that “includes a lot of the successful, key elements from our former iteration.”
“There will be plenty of roses, flowering shrubs, and vines tumbling and cascading through the railings and down the outer walls,” she says. “The best part is that this time around plants will cascade down both the downriver and the upriver sides. We will once again create shady oases with small flowering trees and large shrubs. We have always included native pollinators, but we have the space and opportunity now to layer in many, many more varieties.”
How does the new garden differ from the old one; what’s the ratio of new plants versus the carefully tended old garden plants?
“Most of the small flowering trees are new, but by autumn, most of the shrubs from the former gardens will be returned,” DeLorenzo explains. “Representatives from most of the perennials are either now replanted or will return in the fall or next spring. For example, all the peonies and tree peonies we removed from the former gardens will be brought back this fall. I am thrilled that I am also able to include an abundance of new varieties that might pique the interest and curiosity of even the most voracious plant connoisseurs.”
Starting over with a new, “baby” garden, plantings will take time to fully fledge, but DeLorenzo has designed the new garden with elements she hopes “will bring interest to the garden immediately, or at least by late summer, as the annuals and dahlias have time to fill in.”
“However, much of the garden is devoted to plants that take more time to express themselves,” she says. “I invite visitors to don a gardener’s vision and enjoy the unfolding and maturing of plants that will take three, five, and even 10 years to fully show their beauty.”
Designing and bringing to reality this new work of living art has had its joys, and also it’s challenges. Notable among the challenges the gardeners have had to manage — and the public accept — is the loss of the iconic wisteria planted on the bridge.
“Just know I am not done yet,” says DeLorenzo. “So many people grew very attached to the gardens I developed and tended these past 25 years. For example, we used to have four exquisite, fully-mature crabapple trees. When we needed to take them down for the health of the bridge structure, the visitors and village residents grieved deeply over their loss. “So I looked to the wisteria to fill in for the grandeur. At that time, the wisterias were just okay. They bloomed sometimes, but they were generally a bit scrappy and congested with overgrowth. I decided they needed to become a feature. Relying on the astute skills of Elliston, we exposed the trunks and shaped the tops into lavish umbrellas. People literally fell in love with those magnificent vines.
“Of course, we lost all four wisteria for the sake of this reconstruction and the public is grieving once again, and even a bit desperate for some sort of return or replacement. It may take some years to grow more swoon-worthy plants and vignettes, but with time and patience something great will emerge,” says the Head Gardener.
Asked how it feels to have stood on the bridge before it was reopened and viewed the work accomplished, DeLorenzo says she is “proud of all the people involved in our artful project, the Bridge of Flowers.”
“We still have plants being cared for by community members across the western Massachusetts hilltowns that are awaiting their return to the bridge. Volunteers have shown up resolutely throughout the closure to tend our perennials, shrubs, and flowering trees on two properties, propagating for the plant sales, tending the enormous quantity of plants in the holding gardens, ready to do whatever it takes to replant the bridge. “Then there is the Bridge of Flowers Committee, bearing all the public-facing logistics and doing everything that requires. I hope visitors will appreciate the new hardscape elements as I do: the solid railings, the classic styled lamps, the new arbors and ironwork, the wobble-free edging. They form an understated and elegant backdrop against which the new garden, over time, will flourish.”
Businesses breathe a sigh of relief
While the repair, and thus the bridge garden closure, had to happen, it has been a challenging time for local businesses that rely on tourists visiting the site.
“This is such an exciting moment for Shelburne Falls,” says Shelburne Falls Steering Committee Coordinator Cate Chadwick. “Anticipation has grown day by day as we’ve watched the Blossom Brigade begin replanting the Bridge of Flowers — it’s already looking spectacular.”
Chadwick notes that local residents have been “full of praise for Northern Construction Services, LLC and their dedicated crew, who worked with incredible care and efficiency through all four seasons to complete this renovation in just a year.”
“Tighe & Bond also deserves recognition for their thoughtful community engagement during the planning phase,” Chadwick says.
“The Bridge of Flowers is a beloved symbol of Shelburne Falls, and its reopening represents more than a beautiful landmark returning—it marks a new chapter for our village. After years of downtown infrastructure improvements, this is a breath of fresh air for both residents and businesses. There’s a certain magic here that people truly feel. We invite everyone to come experience it for themselves.”
An artful addition
In addition to new railings, pathway, and lighting, visitors will see a new element on the pathway of the newly refurbished bridge — a hand-crafted granite compass rose medallion installed at its virtual midpoint.
Stone artisan Justin Bardwell, a Buckland native and owner of CountryScape, LLL, says the design, spearheaded by Shelburne Town Clerk Joe Judd — who has sometimes been questioned by those wanting to marry on the bridge — “playfully divides it into ‘Buckland’ and ‘Shelburne’ sides.”
“As a lifelong resident of Shelburne Falls, being asked to contribute to the Bridge of Flowers project was a real honor,” Bardwell says. “When Joe Judd called this winter with the idea of creating a stone centerpiece for the renovated bridge, we were immediately inspired by the challenge. We loved the idea of designing something meaningful, timeless, and fun that honored both Buckland and Shelburne. It’s a nod to the geography of our sister towns and to the good-natured confusion that visitors often have in a village like ours. We hope it helps people feel more connected to our community and to the spirit that unites our two towns.
“We were proud to donate our time and craftsmanship, with material costs generously covered by local organizations,” says Bardwell. “The Bridge of Flowers is a source of pride for so many in this region, and we’re thrilled to have played a small part in its next chapter. We can’t wait for everyone to experience it.”
See more photos and updates online at bridgeofflowersmass.org and on the Bridge of Flowers Facebook page.