Study to Determine Replacement for Demolished Bridge Continues

The New York-Pennsylvania Joint Interstate Bridge Commission announced at its May 21 meeting that the study to determine the “preferred alternatives” for the replacement of the recently demolished Skinners Falls, NY-Milanville, PA Bridge will continue. The 123-year-old bridge was demolished in April due to safety concerns. The 467-foot-long timber-decked, steel truss, single-lane bridge closed in October 2019 due to deterioration.

The Commission, which oversees the nine remaining Upper Delaware River crossings, also approved expenditures for various maintenance and capital projects.

The Skinners Falls Bridge was deemed to be in critical condition. After a federal lawsuit to block the demolition was denied, the bridge was deliberately destroyed without the originally announced plan to detonate explosives. All that remains of the bridge is the abutment in Milanville, PA, which will become an overlook.

The Commission allocated $621,976 to resume the previously paused Planning and Environmental Linkages Study, which will examine options for the bridge’s replacement. The Planning and Environmental Linkages Study was authorized in 2020 with an allocated budget of $4,152,500. The Commission also approved $5,024,946 for the removal of the existing bridge, with costs to be split evenly between Pennsylvania and New York.

Other approved capital projects include $14.3 million for rehabilitation of the Port Jervis, NY-Matamoras, PA Bridge superstructure and $250,000 for its substructure. Work on this project, awarded to JD Eckman of Atglen, PA, is expected to be completed in phases, with traffic maintained throughout.

The Commission also approved $8.8 million for rehabilitation of the Callicoon, NY-Damascus, PA Bridge. This project, awarded to Bette & Cring LLC of Latham, NY, began in March 2024 and is expected to continue through 2027.

Capital projects were approved for $28,996,922.

The Commission also allocated $44,000 for snow and ice control and general maintenance of the nine bridges.