Skinners Falls Bridge

The Skinners Falls Bridge is a Baltimore Through Truss, which was completed in November of 1902. It was one of the first bridges built by the American Bridge Company, which was formed in 1900. This bridge had a rough start to its life. In 1904, an icy flood pushed the New York span downriver. The girders from the damaged section were used to make the repairs, although it is unclear where they were actually used. The bridge was reopened later that year, and the repairs were done by the Milanville Bridge Company who owned and operated the bridge.

This bridge was constructed as a toll bridge, but pedestrians were not charged a toll. In addition, ministers were not tolled so they could better serve their communities.

In the 1920’s, the New York – Pennsylvania Joint Bridge Commission was formed to buy out the private bridges and remove the tolls on the bridges over the Delaware River. This bridge was purchased in 1922 and was put under the Pennsylvania Department of Highways took jurisdiction. In 1936, the bridge became the full property of PennDOT.

PennDOT kept the bridge in good condition, and it was able to survive numerous storms and floods without any structural damage. From 1986 to 1987, the bridge underwent a major rehabilitation project. At this time, the bridge was already posted for a nine-ton weight limit. The rehabilitation project aimed to extend the service life of this bridge at that weight limit, not to improve upon it. This project included replacing some of the pins, strengthening the floor beams and stringers, replacing the guiderail, replacing the wooden deck, and repainting the bridge. The project was done without any major alterations, and the historical integrity of the bridge was maintained.

By 2010, the condition of the bridge had deteriorated significantly, and emergency repairs were needed. The bridge was closed on January 19, 2010, when a truss member was found to be defective. Later that year, the bridge underwent a rehabilitation so that it could be reopened.

In 2015, it was discovered that the bridges suspension wires were twisted, and the bridge was closed again. Repairs were made throughout 2016, and height bars were installed at both ends of the bridge to prevent heavy vehicles from using the bridge.

The bridge was closed again in 2018 after more deterioration was found. This included damage to the central pier which was caused by ice jam in the river. The bridge was opened again later that year, but it closed for good in 2019. A chain-link fence was added to keep pedestrians and cyclists off the bridge in 2023.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation began the ​​Skinners Falls Bridge Project in 2021. In 2023, they began the Historic Bridge Rehabilitation Analysis (HBRA) and the new bridge alternatives analysis. The HBRA evaluates the potential weight-carrying capacity of the rehabilitated bridge, and evaluates whether the rehabilitation alternatives and improvements will meet the project's Purpose and Needs. Phase 1 has been completed, and it was determined that rehabilitation is possible. Phase 2 will be completed in Winter 2024/2025. The new bridge alternatives analysis identifies environmental constraints, develops and assess crossing locations, develops bridge cross sections, and develop and assess bridge types. During this analysis, six conceptual alignments were developed and evaluated. Three of these alignments were recommended for further study.

On November 8, 2024, PennDOT announced that the bridge would be dismantled due to safety concerns for river-goers that would pass under the bridge. The dismantled pieces of the bridge would be stored and restored at a PennDOT yard. However, on December 16, 2024, PennDOT determined that the bridge would likely fail during a crane lift, and it was determined that a stone causeway through the river would be built and the bridge would be demolished through controlled explosives. Demolition work began on March 11, 2025 with the construction of the causeway. On April 7th, The Damascus Citizens for Sustainability filed an injunction to stop the demolition of the bridge. The judge filed a temporary restraining order on PennDOT and halted all work on the bridge. There was a hearing on April 11 and the judge ultimately rejected the preservation efforts as the bridge posed a public safety hazard.

Demolition resumed on April 17th with the demolition of the New York Span, and concluded on April 21st.