Community Celebration and Concern for Endangered Skinners Falls Bridge

Community members along the Delaware River are planning a celebration of the historic and endangered Skinners Falls Bridge on Sunday, January 12.

In 2019, PennDOT shut down the Skinners Falls Bridge to vehicle traffic, citing safety concerns due to its deteriorating condition. The Skinners Falls Bridge crosses the Delaware River, connecting the communities of Milanville, PA, and Skinners Falls, NY.

Now, more than five years later, the bridge has further decayed to the point where it can no longer be maintained as a historic or culturally important landmark, according to PennDOT. PennDOT has announced plans to demolish the bridge using explosives.

Local advocates continue to insist the bridge can and should be preserved.

We spoke to Barbara Arrindell of Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, artist and advocate Cynthia Nash, and our own Kathy Geary, who produced the radio version of Nash’s play about the bridge “The Crossing,” about their efforts to save it.

Image Credit: PennDOT