By Carolyn Sloan

Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

They’re putting the “bridge” back in Bridgetown in the most beautiful way.

The committee of seven volunteers who have formed the non-profit Bridge of Gardens Society are taking on a project to transform the town’s decommissioned railway bridge into a gardened walkway connecting future riverside trails along the abandoned rail corridor.

With rails to trails groups in the process of developing the province’s railway corridors into multi-use trails, the Bridge of Gardens initiative couldn’t have come at a better time. According to committee member Carole Carter, there seems to be and abundance of interest in these types of projects, along with provincial funding and support to match.

“We think that we have maybe tapped into the right time, right place scenario,” she explains. “I would say a large proportion of rail beds have already been turned into trails, so the next logical step are the bridges.”

The initial inspiration for the gardened bridge came from Bridgetown’s Loretta Weidhaas following her visit to Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, home to the world famous Bridge of Flowers. The Bridge of Flowers was converted from a decommissioned trolley bridge in 1929 and draws thousands of international visitors to Shelburne Falls each year.

According to an initial engineering report, the railway bridge in Bridgetown is structurally sound and the ideal candidate for such a project. Recently, the committee has already been making presentations to town residents, as well as anyone who is involved with trail development in the area. The Town of Bridgetown, Annapolis Valley Trails Coalition, Annapolis County Trails Society, Bridgetown and Area Chamber of Commerce, Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection, and Recreation Nova Scotia have already endorse the Bridge of Gardens project, which has also received strong support from town residents.

The current plans include the use of native plants and flowers, year-round foliage, interpretive signage, and raised viewing platforms and benches. Not only would this bridge beautify the community, says Carter, it would provide an accessible crossing for walkers, cyclists and joggers, as well as a safe passage for all-terrain vehicles.

“Our bridge is so gorgeous and in such great shape,” she explains. “[There’s also] the realization that it is [currently] not accessible to everyone.”

The next step is for the committee to apply to the province for a letter of authority to develop the bridge and connecting rail corridor. Phase one of the project is the completion of the Bridge of Gardens and clean-up of the section of trail begins behind Endless Shores bookstore and leads up to the bridge. Plans include raised viewing platforms and benches along the bridge, interpretative signage, and the use of native plants and flowers that would provide foliage year-round. It is also possible that the bridge would have solar lighting and a cistern at the top for watering the garden.

Phase two of the project is the development of the section of trail from the bridge to Tim Hortons. When it is all finished, the Bridge of Gardens will connect to the town’s Cyprus Walk, creating a unified trail system, complete with riverside vistas.

As the Bridge of Gardens is only a working title, the committee is looking to the community to provide suggestions for an official name. They are also hoping to involve local residents, as well as the surrounding region, in every step of the project. If the research and development phase can be completed this year, the committee expects phase one to begin as early as next spring.

“We want everyone involved as much as humanly possible,” says Carter. “We’re really, really interested in making this a community project.”

For more information about the Bridge of Gardens, contact Judy Marshall at 666-4060. Annual membership to the Bridge of Gardens Society is $10 per individual and $20 per family.