SHELBURNE FALLS — The request for proposals for the extensive Bridge of Flowers repair project received just one bid from a construction company, with the resulting figure being higher than anticipated.

The sole bid filed by the March 7 deadline came from Palmer-based Northern Construction Service LLC. Although the Shelburne Falls Fire District, which owns the bridge, received a $2.28 million grant through the Community One Stop for Growth program for the repair project, Northern Construction Service’s bid came in at more than $2.87 million, leaving another $590,000 needed.

“The bid is under review. I am not sure where we are going from there,” Jan Morin, administrative assistant for the Shelburne Falls Fire District, said on Friday.

In 2020, Tighe & Bond engineers were hired to complete a structural assessment of the bridge. The assessment was done to review cracking on the north side wall and took into consideration the extreme flooding during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. There has not been a major structural improvement project on the bridge since 1983.

The study recommended addressing cracks and stabilizing the north spandrel wall. Tighe & Bond also noted that some of the rebar supporting the walls is failing.

Other repairs include conducting water main improvements, adding waterproofing, improving irrigation and drainage, and upgrading the fencing. On the bridge surface, the work will include replacing rails, making the bridge more handicap-accessible, and improving the footpath and lamppost lighting.

Tighe & Bond, which updated its study in 2022, determined that $2.28 million would likely be needed for repairs.

The construction project was expected to start this spring and is expected to last through 2024, meaning the popular tourist attraction will not reopen to the public until 2025. The Bridge of Flowers is typically open from April through October.

Zach Chornyak, senior project manager with Tighe & Bond, explained six construction companies showed initial interest during a pre-bid meeting. Chornyak suspects other construction companies may have decided not to submit bids because the work conflicts with other contracted projects they have already signed on to complete.

“We will review the bid with due diligence and work with the Fire District to figure out next steps,” Chornyak said.

Other western Massachusetts projects that Northern Construction Service has completed include repairs to the General Pierce Bridge between Greenfield and Montague, construction of MGM Springfield and the replacement of the Morgan Sullivan Bridge in Agawam.

Reach Bella Levavi at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.