When demolished, the bridge remains must be collected. They should be preserved and put away to be used in the future to either span the river for pedestrians and bicycles, or used somewhere else in the Upper Delaware Valley where a planned trail requires a bridge or perhaps two separate spans.

Like all trusses, the bridge is a kit of repeated members assembled in place. It was probably moved to the site as a kit by the railroad. 

The principal need is a covered building to store the parts and some agency given authority over these remains to ensure they can be combined with new members in the future. Future work may be done by volunteers or professionals in the same way steam engines and old tanks are restored by volunteer groups. 

The Milanville bridge became a scenic resource after the National Park Service took charge of the river. Its filigree appearance of C-sections, round bars and riveted compression members fastened by rods or bolts was modern one hundred years ago when it was installed. The “Gothic” additions are part of its appeal.

Since PennDOT intends to demolish the bridge over a causeway they can collect the remains. Instead of dumping the parts in a recycling bin, they should give them to an agency used to preserving, repairing and restoring historic buildings and structures. 

No one can predict where or when the bridge remains will be used but I think future residents will be grateful we have agreed to preserve the historic truss kit, once the Milanville Bridge. 

PennDOT is charged with ensuring a safe transportation system. It is not a historic preservation agency and it seems to me that PennDOT should have been more honest about the design and state of the existing bridge and made clear that proposals to rebuild it according to modern standards are false. Such a bridge might be a truss, but would not resemble the Milanville bridge but be more like the Pond Eddy bridge. 

Edward M. Boyer
Narrowsburg, NY