The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced a temporary closure of the Delaware River to all river traffic in Wayne County due to the upcoming demolition of the historic Skinner’s Falls Bridge and the installation of a causeway. The specific date for the demolition will be announced in the coming weeks.
In an email statement, PennDOT added, “The bridge will not be demolished this week as previously planned. The project team is currently working through some legal issues that have arisen in the past few days. Once we receive additional information, we will provide an update.”
On April 7, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability (DCS) and Milanville, PA resident Cynthia Nash filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania seeking to halt the planned demolition of the historic Skinners Falls-Milanville Bridge.
In preparation for the demolition work, signage and exclusion buoys will be installed at the Cochecton-Damascus Bridge to alert river users of the closure. An official signed portage will reroute watercraft to the Narrowsburg Boat Launch. Due to active construction, no portage will be allowed in the immediate vicinity of the bridge.
This phase of the Aids to Navigation (ATON) plan is expected to remain in place for approximately two months.
PennDOT encourages all river users to plan accordingly and exercise caution in the area. Additional updates, including the confirmed start date for the demolition, will be provided as they become available.
For more information and future announcements, visit penndot.pa.gov
Image: Construction equipment at the Skinners Falls Bridge on Monday, April 7. (Credit: Liam Mayo)
They are lying.
There have n been very few updates released to the community.
I asked earlier this.
Good Morning Ms. Biondi,
This is what I’ve received so far from the project managers to date regarding your inquiries (my apologies for the delay in answering, I’ve been out in the field a lot for projects). Attached is the map they used to determine the blast radius for the bridge and which homes would be inspected/boarded as part of the demo process.
In one of your emails you asked about how the bridge was being demo’d. The plan it to set charges to the truss structure, and then once that is cleared away, removed the pier and NY abutment with an execavator. I haven’t had time to go back and confirm, but I believe Dan Raddle talked about the demolition in our February consulting party meeting: https://vimeo.com/1056056813?share=copy
Those are the answers that I currently have to pass along.
Heather Gerling | District 3-0 & 4-0 Architectural Historian
she/her/hers
PA Department of Transportation | Bureau of Design and Delivery /Environmental Policy and Development Division/Cultural Resources Section
715 Jordan Avenue | Montoursville PA 17754
Phone: 570-368-4414 | hgerling@pa.gov
http://www.pa.gov/penndot
CONNECT WITH PENNDOT
Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn
—–Original Message—–
From: Rose Biondi
Sent: Tuesday, April 8, 2025 6:01 AM
To: Ruddy, Jessica ; Gerling, Heather
Subject: [External] Re: Skinners Falls Bridge, Milanville PA
ATTENTION: This email message is from an external sender. Do not open links or attachments from unknown senders. To report suspicious email, use the Report Phishing button in Outlook.
Forwarding again.
Thank you
On Apr 7, 2025, at 9:14 AM, Rose Biondi wrote:
Good Morning,
Writing to ask how and when the residents living near the Bridge will be notified of explosion date?
What steps have been taken to protect any properties within the 500’- 1000’ foot distance from explosion site.
To date, not all of the residents have been contacted by Implosion Technologies.
Is there a scheduled date for explosion? Are we still expecting the 1 week notification?
Will any roads be closed?
Will any homes be evacuated?
Asking why this info has not been supplied at this point?
Thank you,
Rose Biondi
I have found that the info she is saying is being given to the community is not being received.
She my correspondence below.
Good Morning Ms. Biondi,
This is what I’ve received so far from the project managers to date regarding your inquiries (my apologies for the delay in answering, I’ve been out in the field a lot for projects). Attached is the map they used to determine the blast radius for the bridge and which homes would be inspected/boarded as part of the demo process.
In one of your emails you asked about how the bridge was being demo’d. The plan it to set charges to the truss structure, and then once that is cleared away, removed the pier and NY abutment with an execavator. I haven’t had time to go back and confirm, but I believe Dan Raddle talked about the demolition in our February consulting party meeting: https://vimeo.com/1056056813?share=copy
Those are the answers that I currently have to pass along.
Heather Gerling | District 3-0 & 4-0 Architectural Historian
she/her/hers
PA Department of Transportation | Bureau of Design and Delivery /Environmental Policy and Development Division/Cultural Resources Section
715 Jordan Avenue | Montoursville PA 17754
Phone: 570-368-4414 | hgerling@pa.gov
http://www.pa.gov/penndot
CONNECT WITH PENNDOT
Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn
—–Original Message—–
From: Rose Biondi
Sent: Tuesday, April 8, 2025 6:01 AM
To: Ruddy, Jessica ; Gerling, Heather
Subject: [External] Re: Skinners Falls Bridge, Milanville PA
ATTENTION: This email message is from an external sender. Do not open links or attachments from unknown senders. To report suspicious email, use the Report Phishing button in Outlook.
Forwarding again.
Thank you
On Apr 7, 2025, at 9:14 AM, Rose Biondi wrote:
Good Morning,
Writing to ask how and when the residents living near the Bridge will be notified of explosion date?
What steps have been taken to protect any properties within the 500’- 1000’ foot distance from explosion site.
To date, not all of the residents have been contacted by Implosion Technologies.
Is there a scheduled date for explosion? Are we still expecting the 1 week notification?
Will any roads be closed?
Will any homes be evacuated?
Asking why this info has not been supplied at this point?
Thank you,
Rose Biondi