Bridge Of Flowers In W.Mass. Showing Signs Of Age

Town officials and the volunteers who oversee one of Franklin County's most popular attractions - The Bridge of Flowers - are concerned about large cracks that have appeared on the bridge's underside.

The century-old concrete footbridge that spans the Deerfield River between Shelburne and Buckland attracts tens of thousands of visitors a year during the spring and summer when it is festooned with thousands of colorful flowers.

Shelburne Selectman Joseph Judd says it's clear that something needs to be done to fix the cracks before it's too late.

Marion Taylor, treasurer of the bridge's nonprofit preservation corporation, tells The Recorder of Greenfield that her group is in the preliminary stages of figuring out what needs to be done and how much it will cost.