SHELBURNE FALLS — Community members came together Monday to celebrate the Bridge of Flowers and those who played a role in repairing the local landmark.
Bridge of Flowers Committee Chair Annette Szpila and Shelburne Falls Fire District Commission Chair Rob Dobosz welcomed approximately 100 visitors to the Bridge of Flowers for a grand reopening ceremony, where they thanked everyone involved in the efforts and showcased the newly repaired bridge.
“There were very many moving parts to this project, and so many partners,” Szpila said. “Above all, this project stands as a testament to what can be achieved when people come together in service of a common good.”
Bridge of Flowers Committee Chair Annette Szpila and Shelburne Falls Fire District Commission Chair Ron Dobosz celebrate at the Bridge of Flowers ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday. STAFF PHOTO/MADISON SCHOFIELD 
Interim Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development Ashley Stolba cuts the ribbon celebrating the reopening of the Bridge of Flowers on Monday. STAFF PHOTO/MADISON SCHOFIELD Credit: MADISON SCHOFIELD / Staff File Photo 
Visitors explore the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls on Monday. STAFF PHOTO/MADISON SCHOFIELD Credit: MADISON SCHOFIELD / Staff File Photo
The bridge was first built in 1908 to carry trolley cars across the Deerfield River. After the boom in the popularity of automobiles, trolleys fell out of fashion. Left with an empty bridge, members of the Shelburne Falls Area Women’s Club decided to turn the space into a unique garden, and the Bridge of Flowers was born.
In 2024, the bridge closed for a nearly $3.2 million repair project, and quietly reopened earlier this summer. Joining Szpila and Dobosz for the ribbon cutting were state legislators and representatives from various state offices and departments that played a role in the repair project.
Support from Boston
State Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Deerfield, said planning for the repairs began in 2020, when her office joined local officials in lobbying for state funding for the project. Five years later, the work is complete, and Blais said she was honored to be involved in maintaining an iconic landmark in western Massachusetts.
“I’m so happy to be here again with you today. This bridge is the heart of Buckland and Shelburne,” Blais said. “Not only is it an iconic landmark, but it connects these two communities and is a symbol of what we here in western Massachusetts as rural communities can do when we work together and support each other. … We had a vision, we had a dream and we made it happen.”
“This bridge is the heart of Buckland and Shelburne.”
State Rep. Natalie Blais, D-deerfield
Interim Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development Ashley Stolba said it took several years and a lot of teamwork to find the funding through the extremely competitive Community One Stop for Growth grant program, but she was “thrilled” to be able to work with the towns to make it happen.
“On paper, it did not have the most jobs, it did not have the most units of housing, but the impact is so real,” Stolba said.
“Flowers bring people together,” Massachusetts Director of Rural Affairs Anne Gobi said. “To see this and what it means for the community … it matters.”
A new look
Szpila said the repaired bridge has many of the same traditional features people came to know and love, such as a memorial rock, information kiosk and of course, flowers. There are also some new features. For example, a new compass rose medallion designed by Justin Bardwell sits in the center of the bridge and allows visitors to know whether they are on the Buckland side or the Shelburne side.
“There was a lot of thought that went into this,” Szpila said.
Tighe & Bond Senior Project Manager Zach Chornyak added that repairs were made to the concrete, supports and water main, and the bridge should be ready to support flowers for another 100 years. He noted that construction projects are never easy, and the addition of a garden on top of this bridge presented an extra challenge. However, community support helped the project progress as smoothly as possible.
“There’s never a perfect construction project, but this one was close to seamless,” Chornyak said.
Dobosz added that Tighe & Bond and Northern Construction LLC put a lot of work into the repairs, and he thanked them for their efforts.
“They did a fantastic job,” Dobosz said. “Rain, snow, sleet; they were here.”
Szpila said she wanted to give a big thanks to everyone who supported the project, from the town and state officials to local volunteers who kept the spirit of the Bridge of Flowers alive while it was closed.
“We are not just a Bridge of Flowers anymore,” Szpila said. “We’re a village of flowers.”