MOUNT JEWETT – The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Friday announced that the Skywalk at Kinzua Bridge State Park in McKean County has been reopened to pedestrians.

The Skywalk had been closed since Wednesday for an inspection following the impacts of recent high winds. Engineering inspectors found no structural damage and recommended DCNR continue to follow monitoring and inspection guidelines for the Skywalk.

As part of the routine operational procedures there are set guidelines for when severe weather, such as high winds, impacts the Skywalk. When potentially impacted, DCNR may close the Skywalk to 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.

DCNR plans to begin structural and rehabilitation work of the skywalk in 2024. 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.