Skinners, stalled

By LIAM MAYO
Posted 12/11/24

MILANVILLE, PA & SKINNERS FALLS, NY — A month after the unexpected announcement that Skinners Falls Bridge would need to be dismantled as immediately as possible, the dismantling process …

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Skinners, stalled

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MILANVILLE, PA & SKINNERS FALLS, NY — A month after the unexpected announcement that Skinners Falls Bridge would need to be dismantled as immediately as possible, the dismantling process has slowed with no clear timetable for the project’s start.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), which oversees the historic Skinners Falls Bridge, announced in early November that the bridge was at imminent risk of collapse and must be dismantled. 

PennDOT itself did not publicize a specific timetable for that dismantling, but called it “critical” that the bridge be removed before the onset of winter in its announcement. National Park Service (NPS) superintendent Lindsey Kurnath reported in early November that PennDOT hoped to start by December 1. 

The NPS hasn’t yet received specific details or permit requests from PennDOT for the project, according to Kurnath. She told the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) on December 5 that the NPS has done what it can to prepare for the bridge’s dismantling; however, “Until we have plans, we can’t actually do anything,” she said. 

Ryan Coulter, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) representative to the UDC, said the DEC has also been preparing for the project, as PennDOT will likely need to use the DEC fishing access at Skinners Falls for the project. 

“I was hoping that it was going to be during the winter months, but as I’ve learned it keeps getting pushed back more and more,” Coulter said. “So I’ll have to work with everyone and formulate a gameplan to hopefully minimize impacts on recreation.”

Kurnath said the goal is for the bridge to be fully dismantled by the start of May. It will be a “feat,” she said, adding that the project’s goal is to keep the public safe. 

The bridge’s compromised status was revealed in a recent inspection, conducted after reports in August of debris dangling from the underside of the bridge. 

The specific details of the bridge’s planned removal are still uncertain. 

Laurie Ramie, UDC executive director, told the council she had checked with PennDOT consultant AECOM to clear up several points, including whether both abutments and the center pier of the bridge would need to come down. 

AECOM responded that its plans involved dismantling the New York abutment and stabilizing the Pennsylvania abutment, and that other regulatory agencies required the dismantling of the bridge’s center pier.

According to a news release from December 9, PennDOT will host a second public meeting to provide an update on Tuesday, December 17, at 3 p.m. The meeting will be a virtual Microsoft Teams meeting, and attendees can log into the meeting at https://bit.ly/SkinnersMeeting.

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