SKINNERS FALLS, NY & MILANVILLE, PA — A report from the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) concurs with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)’s decision that the Skinners …
Stay informed about your community and support local independent journalism.
Subscribe to The River Reporter today. click here
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
SKINNERS FALLS, NY & MILANVILLE, PA — A report from the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) concurs with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)’s decision that the Skinners Falls Bridge is "unsalvageable" and must be destroyed, striking another blow against the possibility of the bridge’s preservation. The bridge’s supporters, however, have called upon experts of their own to insist that the bridge can still be rehabilitated.
The historic Skinners Falls Bridge was closed to vehicle travel in 2019 after PennDOT declared it was no longer safe for cars and trucks to cross.
Now, over five years later, PennDOT says the bridge has deteriorated to the point where it can no longer be preserved as a historic and culturally significant structure and plans to demolish it with explosive charges.
Before PennDOT can move forward with plans to destroy the bridge, the UDC, a partnership of agencies and municipalities charged with preserving the Upper Delaware River, must review the plan. A draft review presented at the UDC’s Project Review Committee meeting on January 28 largely concurred with PennDOT’s assessment of the bridge’s condition.
“Since the bridge is, as per the engineering reports, unsalvageable and cannot be safely rehabilitated, it is considered already ‘lost,’” reads the report.
The review focuses on the process of destruction because there is no alternative to destruction, the report says.
The report would approve PennDOT’s plan to destroy the bridge with two conditions. First, PennDOT must address what other bridge could be built in that location; “A thoughtfully designed replacement bridge can correct the loss and maintain the scenic appeal of truss bridges from an earlier era, with the functionality and safety of a modern-day bridge,” writes the UDC.
Second, any changes that will be required to the public river access by the New York abutment of the Skinners Falls Bridge, which is managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, must be coordinated with the UDC and with the National Park Service (NPS).
UDC members are considering whether to accept the report, UDC Resources and Land Use Specialist Kerry Engelhardt told the River Reporter. The decision will be made by e-vote to heed PennDot’s calls to expedite the review process. Normally the UDC would wait and vote at a full council meeting.
UDC Executive Director Laurie Ramie told the River Reporter the vote passed, with the vote closing by end of day on Friday, January 31. Ten members voted in favor of substantial conformance, the council’s Damascus representative voted against and the council’s Highland representative abstained. The council’s recommendation of substantial conformance goes to the National Park Service for a final determination.
Dissenting views
While the UDC has concurred with PennDOT’s engineering analysis that the bridge is beyond saving, local advocates for the bridge’s preservation continue to question that consensus.
The Damascus Citizens for Sustainability (DCS), a non-profit that’s led the charge for the bridge’s rehabilitation, released a call for preservation on January 28 that included a novel proposal for how that could work.
Wrought Iron Bridge Works (WIBW), a company specialized in the preservation and restoration of historic truss bridges, said it’s still possible to preserve and restore the bridge by means of ‘falsework’: temporarily supporting the bridge’s floor beams from the ground directly below each beam. This falsework could remove the load from the abutments, allowing the abutments to be repaired and strengthened.
WIBW said it was essentially a skill issue that prevented PennDOT from seriously considering the idea, writing, “Although considered and dismissed in the alternatives analysis, this was considered by those who had not used the technique nor are aware of methods to address the concerns with the technique.”
When asked for comment, PennDOT told the River Reporter, “PennDOT has received proposal from Wrought Iron Bridge Works and is in review of the proposal.”
“It seems feasible,” Engelhard told the River Reporter. She said she didn’t know if it was too late for the idea to be implemented, and wished that it had come to light several years ago.
Editor's note: This article has been updated as of Wednesday, February 5 with the result of the UDC's electronic vote.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here