SHELBURNE FALLS — The Bridge of Flowers normally marks the arrival of spring by opening at the start of April, but this year the bridge will be closed until further notice in an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
According to a notice on the Bridge of Flowers’ website, Bridge of Flowers Committee Chair Annette Szpila said she and fellow members reached this decision “with regret.”
“Health considerations are paramount during this time of virulent contagion,” Szpila said in the notice.
Carol Angus, a member of the Bridge of Flowers Committee, said members considered putting up cautionary signs, asking people to maintain a safe distance from one another. This would have tried to limit the number of people on the bridge at one time.
“But as we thought about it, we realized that just wasn’t going to work,” Angus said.
While the bridge is an open-air venue, Szpila pointed out that the bridge path is narrow, and therefore does not allow for adequate social distancing. The committee also hopes this will decrease the possibility for an influx of visitors to Shelburne Falls, which could contribute to the spread of COVID-19 from one place to another. According to Angus, the Bridge of Flowers annually draws up to 60,000 people from all over the world to Shelburne Falls.
Although the gates at both entrances will remain closed, the plants on the bridge and the gardens will continue to be maintained by head gardener Carol De Lorenzo and assistant gardener Elliston Bingham, the notice states.
The committee also announced that the popular annual Bridge of Flowers Plant Sale, originally scheduled for Saturday, May 16, will not take place this year.
This year, Angus said, is just the third time that the bridge — which celebrated its 90th year in 2019 — will be closed. Should circumstances warrant reopening the bridge in the summer or early fall, information will be posted on bridgeofflowersmass.org.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled Bridge of Flowers Committee Chair Annette Szpila’s last name. It also incorrectly stated the number of times the Bridge of Flowers has been closed.