“Complete Collapse”: Concrete Truck Destroys Mohonk’s Famous Pedestrian Bridge

It finally happened. The pedestrian bridge right outside the gatehouse at Mohonk met its demise at the hands of an oversized truck on Thursday.

Mohonk Bridge Collapse in Marbletown, NY

Many Hudson Valley residents were not surprised that the bridge was destroyed. "Ya know, it was only a matter of time before that happened. Years and years I’ve seen countless trucks and trailers stuck there" commented one resident under the photo of the once-proud bridge that was now reduced to shambles. "It was bound to happen one of these days, they should have asked the gatehouse to open up the gate in the parking lot [to drive around the bridge]", said another.

Hudson Valley Emergency Response

There were multiple emergency service departments who responded to the scene, including the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, New Paltz Police, High Falls Fire Department, and more. Thanks to quick work from first responders as well as staff from Mohonk, they road was reopened in a matter of hours. Ironically, in the photo above, a partially-sheared "clearance" sign normally attached to the bridge (below) can be seen in the rubble.

The official statement on incident from the Ulster County Sheriff's Office reports that it was a cement truck that caused the bridge to collapse. From the sheriff's office:

A concrete truck was traveling east on County Route 6 when the operator struck the bridge and caused the bridge to completely collapse in the roadway. The roadway was closed for approximately two hours to remove debris. No injuries occurred as a result of the accident.

Plenty of Hudson Valley residents had personal connections to the bridge, and were upset to discover its untimely end. "Right by my childhood home... My dad helped build it. It just makes me feel sad" read a recent comment. "Darn it. It was fun to ride my horse over that bridge and make car drivers nervous about having a horse right over them" said a more lighthearted equestrian enthusiast.

Response from Mohonk

Mohonk itself is now looking at what a replacement bridge may look like. In a statement to WRRV they shared that they "are currently assessing and reviewing all options to rebuild the bridge while maintaining its historic integrity." Speaking of historic integrity (and New Paltz), check out the oldest house for sale in the entire country below.