Is it the end for an ‘utterly spectacular’ Pa. bridge?

DAMASCUS, Pa. — In the simplest sense, it was a Baltimore-style truss bridge that connected one state to another, a span of steel and stone to carry carriages and cars across the meandering, upper reaches of the Delaware River.

For bridge advocates and residents on the river’s Pennsylvania and New York shores, the Skinners Falls Bridge has evolved into something more than its parts and purpose over the last century. The single-lane bridge is ingrained in the landscape of the Upper Delaware, they say, as much as the surrounding hills and the fish that swim beneath it, the kind of structure tourists photograph and put on postcards. On the list of National Register of Historic Places, the bridge has been described as “utterly spectacular” and “extremely ornate, beautiful and significant.”

But on a recent July afternoon on the Wayne County, Pa., side of the bridge, a large pile of gravel blocked the entrance and a metal sign described its current state: Bridge Closed.

Many want the bridge restored and reopened. PennDot is studying whether that’s possible — but also whether the bridge should be replaced with a modern, two-lane span or, perhaps, closed for good.

“It was open for a chunk. Then they closed it for a while, then it was open again, and then they closed it,” said Barbara Arrindell, director of Damascus Citizens for Sustainability.

Since construction on the bridge began in 1901, PennDot reports major rehabilitation projects in 1971 and 1986. In recent years, there have been several closures and emergency repairs. PennDot said a “customer complaint” and subsequent inspections found deck and truss deterioration, which led it to close the bridge on Oct. 16, 2019.

Response to a PennDot survey in May made it clear that locals want the 446-foot crossing reopened for cars, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Studies from the last two decades showed 388 vehicles using the crossing daily. PennDot interviewed businesses on both sides of the river, including a general store in Milanville, Pa., and a river outfitter at the foot of the bridge in New York, who both told the agency it was vital for business. PennDot found that the closure of the bridge affects both river rescues and emergency response time.

For Arrindell and many residents, restoring the bridge, with its flower motifs and spiky, decorative portals, is the only option. A Facebook group dedicated to saving the bridge describes the alternative, new bridge as a “2 lane monstrosity for 40 ton trucks.”

The Upper Delaware Council, a nonprofit group that advocates for the municipalities along the Upper Delaware watershed, supports the rehabilitation plan. The group urges PennDot to restore the bridge and return it to its 9-to-10-ton weight capacity, allowing for delivery vehicles. The Skinners Falls Bridge was reduced to 4-ton capacity in 2013. Other bridges in the area, including the Narrowsburg and Callicoon, can handle heavier vehicles.

River Road, the outlet road to the Pennsylvania side of the bridge, has a 10-ton limit, the group pointed out, making the need for a 40-ton limit bridge moot.

“That road cannot handle large trucks to begin with,” River Road resident Rose Biondi said.

The UDC, in a letter it sent to PennDot in January, said the agency appeared to be skewing its purpose and needs statement against rehabilitation.

The third option would be closing the bridge for good.

“That’s the one thing we all agree on, the one thing that binds us together,” said Laurie Ramie, executive director of the Upper Delaware Council. “We all want a functioning bridge.”

Biondi said cars were a rarity for the bridge and surrounding roads to begin with. She said she isn’t confident the bridge will be saved.

When asked to comment on the concerns of replacing such a landmark, PennDot said it will “follow the appropriate environmental process including public involvement as it relates to the aesthetics of the bridge.”

PennDot has said restoration of the bridge has not been ruled out and it’s still seeking input.

“It would cost a lot less to restore this bridge than to build a new one,” Arrindell said.

The website historicbridges.org called the Skinners Falls Bridge “one of the most significant bridges in both New York and Pennsylvania.”

“With the right attention and commitment,“ the website’s author said, “the Skinners Falls Bridge has a very bright and long future ahead of it.”