MOUNT JEWETT – The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced it is temporarily closing the skywalk at Kinzua Bridge State Park in McKean County to evaluate the structure to ensure it remains safe after the impacts of recent high winds.

Weather permitting, the inspection is set for today. The skywalk will remain closed until the results of the inspection determines that the bridge remains safe for pedestrians.

The Kinzua skywalk undergoes routine structural inspections by qualified engineers to evaluate the overall condition of the structure that was built more than 100 years ago. DCNR plans to begin structural and rehabilitation work of the skywalk in 2024.

As part of the routine operational procedures ahead of the scheduled work, there are set guidelines for when severe weather, such as high winds, impacts the skywalk. Following severe weather, DCNR will conduct a special inspection outside of the routine schedule to ensure that there has been no impact to structural integrity of the skywalk.

These comprehensive inspections provide for both short- and long-term routine maintenance planning that will ensure the skywalk continues to remain safe for the heavy volume of pedestrian traffic that flock to see this iconic cultural remnant of the industrial age.

The focal point of the 339-acre park is the skywalk, a pedestrian walkway 225 feet above the valley floor. Prior to being a pedestrian skywalk, the viaduct spanned the entire valley and was once the longest and tallest railroad structure in the world.

The bridge was previously used to transport coal, timber, and oil, and then later tourist excursion trains across the Kinzua Gorge. In 2003, a tornado partially demolished the structure.