MILANVILLE – A lightly used bridge crossing the Delaware River above Narrowsburg was shut down, yesterday, after PennDOT determined the ancient bridge is unsafe.

The Skinners Falls bridge, linking Route 97, on the New York side, with Milanville, in Damascus Township, PA, was built in 1902.  It was on a list, released in May 2009, by the New York – Pennsylvania Joint Interstate Bridge Commission, for rehabilitation.  Some work was to have begun this year, with a more substantial rehabilitation in 2015.

There is no word on whether the steel bridge, with wooden deck, can or will be reopened.

The bridge gets heavier use during the recreational boating season.  Skinners Falls, with its challenging rapids, is a popular spot with canoeists and kayakers looking for thrills.