SKINNERS FALLS, NY and MILANVILLE, PA — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is set to begin the removal of the Skinners Falls Bridge in Wayne County. Structure removal will begin the morning of Thursday, April 17, 2025, by mechanical means starting on the New York side of the bridge.

The decision to remove the bridge comes after inspections revealed critical structural failures. An October 2024 inspection showed the bridge superstructure in a critical condition, and the substructure had failed. A subsequent inspection in January 2025 confirmed active movement in the New York abutment and upstream truss bearing areas. To prevent an uncontrolled collapse and ensure public safety, demolition is necessary.

The fishing access area and parking lot will be inaccessible for public use during construction. Additionally, construction activities will restrict river use in the vicinity of the bridge. Recreation users are advised to exit the river upstream at Damascus and re-enter downstream at Narrowsburg.

The following precautions implemented on April 7, 2025, will continue:

• Delaware River closure signage and exclusion buoys will be placed at the Cochecton-Damascus Bridge.
• Official signed portage will direct river users to the Narrowsburg Boat Launch.
• No portage in the vicinity of the bridge will be allowed due to ongoing construction activities.
• This stage of the Aids to Navigation (ATON) will be in place for approximately two months.