The Skinners Falls Bridge crosses the Upper Delaware River, connecting the communities of Milanville, PA, and Skinners Falls, NY. The 470-foot long historic bridge been closed since October 2019 when an inspection identified timber deck and lateral truss bracing deterioration.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), together with the Federal Highway Administration and New York State Department of Transportation, conducted a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study for the Skinners Falls Bridge. The 45 day comment period on the study ends Sunday, May 26.
A group of concerned citizens is encouraging a unique form of public comment about the bridge: creative commentary, through the art forms of music, poetry, prose, and visual arts.
We spoke to a few of them on Radio Chatskill:
-Sheila Dugan is 85 and lives in the Skinner’s House. Her home –like the bridge– is on the National Register of Historic Places. She is a member of The Milanville Poets and had a career as an activist lawyer.
-Jeff Dexter lives on Atco Road in Damascus and is a former supervisor and the Damascus representative to the UDC. He crafts American flags usually dedicated to veterans who have served, but the latest one he is dedicating to the bridge and its preservation.
-Cynthia Nash is an artist and advocate. Her recent editorials and other contributions can be seen in The River Reporter and The Scranton Times Tribune. Over 25 years ago, she became the owner of Innisfree, a historic property in the hamlet of Milanville, in sight of the headlights that used to cross the Skinners Falls Bridge.
More information on public comment and the project here.
Image: HistoricBridges.org
We and all the residents of John Davis Road used the bridge regularly-it is a sadly missed part of our life on the PA/NY border.
Is it believable that any of the (many) concerned parties seriously entertain the “do nothing” option?
Like all bad or delayed decisions, it’s about money.
No party seems to be in charge.
So we wait.
The Skinner falls bridge brings growth and prosperity to our community,let’s do the repairs necessary to open it UP!
I live downstate, but have known and loved the Milanville Bridge since the 1960s.To see this relic of my youth in such horrible shape is a shame on all the area politicians. The do nothing brigade appears to extend much further than Washington DC.
Hi Tim, Many thanks for your response to my request for more info on access to the program. Due to the short time frame I had to respond to the commission with a comment I unfortunately missed the deadline of Sunday 5/26/24. However, I have a hand-written letter I could forward on if I could find connections as I do take this bridge and all its historical and locally relevant connections so very seriously. I have so many wonderful memories and connections with this wonderful structure and would love to share it if it could help with the preservation of this unique piece of our historical past. Sincerely, Leona Willis