Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge Renovation Update

By Carl Wiser

Staff Writer

The newly painted bridge. It's the same color as before but looks a lot more vibrant because the sun faded the paint considerably since it was last painted in 1995. Photo Courtesy of Lani Ralston

Renovations are going well on the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge, a Simsbury landmark that spans the Farmington River. Major work started on the bridge in August and should be completed this December, with some minor work remaining until the early spring, according to Thomas Roy, Simsbury's Director of Public Works. "Our goal is to have the bridge open for the entire 2025 season," he says.

Built as a one-lane vehicular bridge in 1892, the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and closed to traffic in 1992, when a modern two-lane bridge opened nearby. In 1995 it was repaired, repainted, and converted into a pedestrian and bicycle way. It became a major attraction in 1996 when, inspired by the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, local residents added the famous flowers, which now include 72 flower boxes, 32 hanging baskets, 14 border column baskets and four gardens.

The bridge has become a community hub, cared for by a dedicated team of volunteers organized by the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge Committee (ODHFB), a 501(c) nonprofit. Committee chair Jan Lintner says they plant 1,700 annuals every year for the containers and gardens, which are maintained year-round, the boxes filled with greenery for winter displays and lights hung for the holidays. Since 2020, they've planted 3,000 daffodil bulbs, creating a "River of Daffodils" in memory of those who loved the Bridge. They've also planted 1,000 crocuses in Hop Brook Park, one of the four gardens.

"While the town is tasked with the costs of maintaining the bridge, all work to make it a flower bridge is volunteer and all dollars needed to purchase flowers, install irrigation, light the bridge, install baskets, boxes and border columns are not paid for by the town but funded through the efforts of our ODHFB nonprofit corporation," she says.

Lintner oversees 23 committees, each responsible for different aspects of the bridge, including boxes, baskets, borders, gardens, irrigation, lighting, subscriptions and social media. "At the beginning of the planting season, we set up a deadheading schedule where we usually have four to eight volunteers on the bridge working on maintaining all units each day of the week," she says. "We act as the 'good will ambassador' for all things concerning the ODHFB, play a leading role in fundraising activities, and are the primary liaison between the flower bridge and our partner, the Town of Simsbury."

Organized events at the bridge include yoga classes, storytimes set up by the Simsbury Library, summer concerts, senior center outings, painting classes, and a rubber duck race for Tootin' Hills School. It can be reserved for weddings, dinner parties and high school senior pictures, and every June there's a ODHFB fundraiser called Burgers On The Bridge that becomes a town-wide block party.

For many, the bridge is a living history. "It represents people present and past for generations," says volunteer Nancy Ralston. "It honors families, friends, heroes, volunteers, community leaders, causes, events. The bridge is living and holds us up. It brings us joy over many troubled waters. It provides invaluable peace, joy and love."

The bridge is especially popular with bicyclists, who often make it the starting point or break point on their rides.

When renovations are complete, the bridge will have a new wooden deck, updates to the handrails (required by code), and some modifications to how the plants are hung. It already has a fresh coat of paint in the same color (Federal Standard #505C). The old paint faded over the years, so it's now a much darker green.

ODHFB videographer Lani Ralston is documenting the renovation with videos she posts to YouTube. Search "Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge playlist" to find them.

The bridge before the renovation. The 72 flower boxes, 32 hanging baskets and 14 border column baskets are all sponsored by subscribers who can choose the wording on a plaque placed on the unit. There are 50 people on the wait list to subscribe. Photo Courtesy of Lani Ralston

The bridge with the flowers removed, getting ready for renovation. Note the deteriorating deck, which will be replaced. There will also be improvements to the handrails. Photo Courtesy of Lani Ralston

Early in the renovation, with the scaffolding in place to allow safe access to the structure. Photo Courtesy of Lani Ralston

Areas where the paint is being blasted off are tented. "The tenting or containment area allows the contractor to recover all of the paint and rust from the bridge, which protects the environment and the river," Thomas Roy, Simsbury's Director of Public Works, explains. "The large pipes are connecting the containment area to the compressors and vacuums used to collect the contaminants." Photo Courtesy of Lani Ralston

The pipes go to a truck that collects the contaminants from the renovation. Protecting the Farmington River is a priority. Photo Courtesy of Lani Ralston

Workers on the bridge in August. Major work should be completed in December. Photo Courtesy of Lani Ralston