SKINNERS FALLS, NY AND MILANVILLE, PA — A little over a year after the Skinners Falls Bridge was destroyed, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) officials and community members met to discuss potential mitigation measures.

The Skinners Falls Bridge was a historic bridge connecting Skinners Falls and Milanville. PennDOT demolished the bridge last year due to safety concerns, following reports of its structural unsoundness.

In attendance at the June 17 meeting were five community members, two representatives from the Upper Delaware Council (UDC), one representative from the National Park Service and numerous PennDOT officials.

A proposed memorandum sets aside $200,000 in funding for a monument in recognition of the bridge, using previous bridge pieces.

Additionally, $300,000 will be allocated to the UDC, with a three-year period given to the UDC to create a comprehensive list of what the funding will be spent on for PennDOT to review.

On Wednesday, Milanville resident Rose Biondi raised some concerns about the draft.

“The suggestions commemorate a loss. They do not mitigate one,” she said. “The $300,000 to UDC is for broad regional education and recognition—not anything tied specifically to replacing what Skinners Falls Bridge itself contributed.”

Biondi added that some suggestions she felt would adequately mitigate the loss were “a pedestrian/bike-only bridge incorporating salvaged truss members,” “the scenic overlook that was already planned,” and “a maintenance/stewardship fund tied to the Milanville Historic District specifically.”

Kristina Thompson, PennDOT architectural historian supervisor, explained that a new bridge would not be discussed at the meeting and that this section of PennDOT, which focuses on the historical aspects of architecture, does not have the funds for that.

Participant Michelle Bennett asked if the $500,000 could be put into a fund, gain interest and then be put towards building a new bridge.

Thompson said that would not be possible.

“It’s such a waste of money,” Biondi said.

As tensions rose, many community members also expressed frustration that they had no access to the river now.

“A monument doesn’t do anything for me,” attendee Jeff Lubar said.
Tom Kearns, natural and cultural resources program manager for the National Park Service, said that the park service would not want to absorb the monument, and would approve of it being on the New York side of the former bridge.

UDC Executive Director Laurie Ramie said that while it’s “hard to think of anything that will offset that loss,” the UDC would get professional opinions from cultural programs on where to spend its mitigation monies, rather than making the decision completely on their own.

Though PennDOT cast doubt on the likelihood of suggestions for a new bridge and access to the river, the department seemed to agree with participants that a marker would be more respectful than a monument made from salvaged bridge parts.

“It was very traumatic seeing that bridge get crushed and pushed,” Biondi commented.

Bennett added that they could make a viewing center, and Thompson thought that the restored bridge plaque might make a good marker.

Ramie showed participants a screenshot from May of a person named Donald Wayne selling five-foot “Millanville bridge sections” for $50 on Facebook Marketplace.

“We thought this was very offensive,” Ramie said.

Thompson explained that bridge pieces not salvaged by PennDOT were the responsibility of the contractor.

Heather Gerling, PennDOT architectural historian for districts three and four, concluded that the memorandum would “optimistically” be finalized by mid-August.