Removing Skinner Falls Bridge to start this week

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (Penndot) will tear down the historic Skinner Falls Bridge on Wednesday, February 26th.

Activists from Milanville, Pennsylvania, and Skinner Falls, NY, fought for the preservation of the bridge in October 2019 after Penndot had closed due to structural problems. The bridge, built in 1901, is one of the last Baltimore Russ Bridges of the nation and is listed twice in the National Register of Historic Places. It connects Wayne County, Pennsylvania and Sullivan County, NY.

Now, five years after his closure, Penndot announced on Monday that the bridge “” as soon as possible to prevent an uncontrolled breakdown “.

The residents of both communities say that penndots have made their deterioration possible.

Damascus Citizens for sustainability, a non -profit environmental representative, undertakes the efforts to protect the bridge.

At a celebration for the bridge in January, DCS director Barbara Arrindell said that her organization could submit an injunction against penndot to stop the destruction of the bridge, to start rehabilitation and restoration and to prevent further decay of the bridge.

However, Penndot officials say that the bridge must be removed immediately.

In a virtual meeting on December 17thRichard Roman, district manager for the northeastern region of Penndot, warned of the upcoming collapse.

“We are concerned about a collapse of the New York abutment,” said Roman. “We don't know when that would happen. There is no prediction, but we are concerned if we have that there is a threat to public health and well -being and the river leisure traffic under the bridge. “

Both the National Park Service and a private company, Lander's River Trips, run near the bridge.

Lisa Brozey, Vice President of AECOM, an engineer of Penndot for the project, said at the meeting on December 17 that the demolition was the only way to prevent the collapse of the bridge without endangering the safety of employees. AECOM will probably remove the bridge by using a dam that Broceey was “last way out” by Broceey, according to Brocey.

Brozey added the distance.

Today's press release from Penndot does not mention the use of blowing, but means that a dam is built to support the distance. The river that surrounds the bridge is closed during a part of the construction, and the penndot estimates will be completed by May 2025.

DCS proposed on February 19, less than a week before Penndots announcement, to buy the bridge from Penndot. An interest letter was submitted in which the purchase of the bridge for 1 USD is bought and all liability and responsibility for funds in the amount of the technical estimate of penndot for the restoration is taken over.

According to DCS, Penndot estimates would cost the restoration of the bridge restoration of 16 million US dollars.

In the letter it says that “all means that go beyond these 16 million US dollars” “are applied” by Damascus citizens for sustainability “.

More information about the project can be found at Penndot's Skinner Falls Brückenweb page.