COCHECTON — The Skinners Falls Bridge, which spans the Delaware River connecting Cochecton, NY to Milanville, PA., is currently closed to traffic after failing a safety inspection in 2019.

And now, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is asking residents what they would like to see happen with the bridge.

Three options are currently on the table: rehabilitate the bridge, build a new bridge, or close it permanently.

A public hearing was held virtually on March 30 and around 150 people from all over the country showed up to voice their opinions.

After the meeting, a group of concerned citizens banded together to urge PennDOT to preserve the historic bridge.

Making a “Save the Skinner's Falls/Milanville Bridge” Facebook page, the group says, “PennDot is threatening to destroy this beautiful structure and pave the way for huge trucks coming through historic downtown Milanville. This will destroy the heart and soul of one of the most pristine and beautiful towns along the Delaware.”

In fact, PennDOT has not made any determinations yet. The public comment period has been extended to April 30 and people can submit comments to Skinnersfallsbridge@aecom.com.

PennDOT is completing a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study to identify potential alternatives that could be evaluated and determine a path forward.

“The study represents a collaborative and integrated approach that will consider community, environmental, historic, and economic goals. PennDOT and NYSDOT are seeking input from the community to better understand how to move forward to meet local transportation needs within realistically available financial resources,” they said.

The Upper Delaware Council (UDC) at its recent meeting voted to endorse the option to rehabilitate the bridge.

UDC Executive Director, Laurie Ramie, said their decision took into consideration the historical aspect of the bridge and the aesthetic quality.

“It has a unique architectural style that is rare and that's why it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places,” Ramie said. “People feel like it's appropriate for the setting that it serves.”

The bridge was originally constructed in 1902. It is owned by the NY-PA Joint Interstate Bridge Commission, which has joint ownership of the ten bridges that cross the Delaware River.

PennDOT maintains primary maintenance responsibility for the Skinners Falls Bridge.

Rehabilitation work has been performed in 1971 and 1986, and closed for emergency repair in 2010, 2012, and 2015 and closed indefinitely in 2019. The weight limit was reduced from nine tons, to seven tons, and then to four tons. Barriers have been set up on either side of the bridge to prevent vehicles from driving over it.

The next steps include drafting a “purpose and need” statement and presenting it to the public, finalizing the study document, and then begin the environmental review process.

Ramie said the environmental review and permitting process would take two years to complete. In the meantime, she said the UDC and Landers River Trips (which is located next to the bridge on the Cochecton side) are asking for the barriers to be beautified.

The project presentation and questionnaire can be found at https://bit.ly/31WjjAS. For further questions call (610) 234-5148.