$20M Bridge Rehabilitation Projects Approved in New York and Pennsylvania

The New York-Pennsylvania Joint Interstate Bridge Commission has approved nearly $20 million for major rehabilitation projects on two Upper Delaware River crossings while taking no action on a potential replacement for the former Skinners Falls–Milanville Bridge, which was demolished in 2025.

The commission approved $11.55 million for the Callicoon–Damascus Bridge and $8.36 million for the Port Jervis–Matamoras Bridge, totaling $19.91 million. The funding will be split evenly between New York and Pennsylvania under the April 1, 2026–March 31, 2027 budget.

The decisions came during the commission’s annual meeting May 13 at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation headquarters in Dunmore, where officials reviewed capital expenditures, inspection findings and maintenance needs for nine remaining Upper Delaware River bridges under its jurisdiction.

The Callicoon–Damascus Bridge project, originally awarded in March 2024 to Bette & Cring LLC of Latham, N.Y., involves a $17.86 million contract to refurbish the 1961 structure. Work began that fall, with completion originally targeted for November 2027 while maintaining one lane of traffic and scheduling intermittent full closures for concrete pours.

However, state officials said the project appears to be ahead of schedule after continued winter construction.

“The contractor is motivated to try to get everything done to be substantially complete this year,” said Jacob Hamlin, a New York State Department of Transportation regional structures engineer.

Hamlin said remaining steel repairs are expected in late July, with normal traffic patterns anticipated to resume by late August. The contractor is then expected to return next spring for final work.

The New York State Department of Transportation’s Region 9 office announced the next full closure of the Callicoon–Damascus Bridge is scheduled for May 19 at 10 a.m., weather permitting. The closure may last up to 48 hours, with May 27 and May 28 listed as backup dates. Pedestrian and bicycle access will remain open during the closure.

In 2021, the commission approved $2.21 million for design work on the Callicoon–Damascus rehabilitation project.

For the Port Jervis–Matamoras Bridge, officials said replacement of the open steel grid deck with lightweight concrete and other structural improvements are expected to be completed in October 2026.

The $14.55 million project is being completed in three phases by JD Eckman of Atglen, Pennsylvania, under a contract awarded in July 2024. Officials said Westbound Phase 2 is expected to wrap up in about three weeks, with Phase 3 — including stringer replacement and final deck work — expected to finish in early June.

Commission records show $5.9 million was approved in 2024 for steel repairs to the structure.

No capital project actions were taken regarding the former Skinners Falls–Milanville Bridge, which was demolished in April 2025 after being closed since 2019 due to structural concerns.

The bridge was removed following state and federal determinations that the structure posed safety risks. An independent analysis previously rated its substructure as failed and its superstructure in critical condition. Demolition costs totaled $5.02 million.

Since 2020, the commission has spent $4.77 million on a Planning and Environmental Linkages study evaluating options for the crossing, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A 2025 update concluded that funding constraints and low benefit-cost ratios make replacement scenarios — estimated at $13 million to $28.5 million — difficult to advance at this time.

Remaining at the site in Milanville, Pennsylvania, is one abutment with a custom railing installed. Officials noted that future plans for the location are uncertain, including whether removal of remaining structures may be required under federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act guidance. A potential legal challenge from an adjacent property owner also remains possible.

A mid-June meeting is planned with federal and state consulting parties to discuss mitigation agreements related to cultural resources impacts, which had been paused earlier this year.

Commissioners also earmarked $44,000 for general maintenance and snow and ice control, slightly below the $46,622 spent in the prior year.

Other Upper Delaware River interstate crossings under commission oversight include the Pond Eddy Bridge, Barryville–Shohola Bridge, Narrowsburg–Darbytown Bridge, Cochecton–Damascus Bridge, Kellams–Stalker Bridge, Lordville–Equinunk Bridge and Hancock–Buckingham Bridge.

Image: The Callicoon–Damascus Bridge under construction. (Upper Delaware Council)