PennDOT Defends Decision to Demolish Skinners Falls Bridge

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As the Skinners Falls Bridge faces imminent demolition, there is growing debate over the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) handling of the situation. While local advocates and cultural resource agencies have questioned the process, PennDOT insists it has followed the only feasible path available.

The River Reporter spoke to Rich Roman, PennDOT District 4 executive, about the decision to demolish the historic bridge using explosives.

“When the bridge was closed, we immediately started to look at options,” Roman told The River Reporter. “And unfortunately, based on laws and regulations, there are procedures that you have to follow… Unfortunately, it takes time.”

Roman added, “We did everything we could within reason, within the process, but unfortunately during that time the bridge started to deteriorate beyond repair and saving.”

Damascus Citizens for Sustainability (DCS), a group advocating for the bridge’s preservation, argues that PennDOT ignored the structure’s critical repair needs over the years. “PennDOT allowed the bridge to fall apart,” DCS wrote in a letter to stakeholders. “The current condition is a result of years of neglect.”

While PennDOT insists that demolition is the only option moving forward, DCS contends that rehabilitation is still possible. A recent inspection report from October 2024 highlighted $261,290 in urgent repairs necessary within the next six months, without suggesting that destruction was the only solution.

Roman said that inspection reports are separate from PennDOT’s conclusions, and that temporary shoring measures would not resolve the larger issues. He further stated that lifting the bridge to perform repairs could risk collapse due to its fragile condition.

Barbara Arrindell, director of DCS, has pointed out that restoring the bridge would likely require disassembly, a process PennDOT has not pursued.

To proceed with demolition, PennDOT must secure various state and federal approvals. The agency has already obtained an emergency declaration from Governor Josh Shapiro and is working to fast-track the necessary approvals. The National Park Service (NPS) is reviewing the situation and aims to issue a permit as quickly as possible. However, NPS officials noted that the urgency of the situation is unclear, given that it took PennDOT eight weeks to secure the emergency declaration.

Despite the controversy surrounding the bridge’s future, local advocates are organizing a community event on January 12 at the Narrowsburg Union to celebrate the bridge’s legacy. The event will feature descendants of the bridge’s original builders and artists inspired by the structure. Engineers will also discuss potential alternatives to demolition, though many remain skeptical about halting the demolition plan.

DCS maintains that PennDOT’s true goal is to replace the historic bridge with a modern one, setting a dangerous precedent for the destruction of historic structures across the state. “PennDOT, with the Governor’s approval, is setting a destructive precedent for every historic bridge in the Commonwealth,” DCS wrote.

Roman denied that PennDOT had any ulterior motives, stressing that the agency had followed the required process and had not intentionally allowed the bridge to deteriorate. “We did not delay or act with malice,” he said. “We followed the process as required by law.”

Image Credit: Liam Mayo/The River Reporter