RAY BROOK — The state Department of Environmental Conservation announced on Saturday that the bridge across Ray Brook, which is half a mile from the Scarface Mountain Trailhead, would be closed for the foreseeable future due to “public safety concerns.”

The DEC closed the section of the trail beyond the bridge on Dec. 7, according to DEC Public Participation Specialist Kendra Ormerod. The bridge and trail to Scarface Mountain will be closed until the structure is replaced, but the section of the trail between Ray Brook Road and the bridge will remain open to the public. People should not attempt to use the bridge or cross the brook on foot.

The bridge was constructed in the mid-1980s. Recently, Ormerod said, it began to show signs of “compromised structural integrity.” There is not a specific timeline for the bridge’s replacement. The issue was not reported by hikers; the DEC discovered the issue on its own and chose to close the bridge and trail.

Ormerod said that trail closure is “not uncommon” for the DEC — for example, trails may be closed due to age, damage from extreme weather events or vandalism.

Instead of hiking Scarface Mountain, winter hikers in the area can head to Haystack Mountain, St. Regis Mountain or the new Mount Van Hoevenberg East Trail to get their fill of snowy summits.