Pennsylvania Act 2014-101 — LIEUTENANT COLONEL CEPHUS LEE ROUPE MEMORIAL BRIDGE, FAYETTE EXPRESSWAY COMPLETION ORGANIZATION (FAECO) BRIDGES AND CORNELIUS MCELHENNY MEMORIAL BRIDGE - DESIGNATIONS

Act text

An Act

Designating a bridge in Greene County as the Lieutenant Colonel Cephus Lee Roupe Memorial Bridge; designating the bridges recognized as MF 195 and MF 196 carrying State Route 43 over the Dunlap Creek in Luzerne Township, Fayette County, as the Fayette Expressway Completion Organization (FAECO) Bridges; and designating State Bridge No. 53-0054-0290-0143 carrying S.R. 54 in Mahanoy Township, Schuylkill County, over the Reading and Northern Railroad, as the Cornelius McElhenny Memorial Bridge.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Lieutenant Colonel Cephus Lee Roupe Memorial Bridge.

(a) Findings and declarations.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) Lieutenant Colonel Cephus Lee Roupe was born on November 7, 1957, in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, and passed away at 54 years of age on March 2, 2012, of natural causes.

(2) Lieutenant Colonel Roupe proudly and courageously served his country in the United States Army for 36 years.

(3) Lieutenant Colonel Roupe began his career as an enlisted soldier and excelled through the ranks. When Lieutenant Colonel Roupe was an E-5 (SGT) he applied and was accepted into flight school in which he received his aviation wings at Fort Rucker, Alabama, as a Warrant Officer.

(4) Lieutenant Colonel Roupe was a former Warrant Officer who received a direct commission appointment to the Medical Service Corps and was qualified in the UH-1, AH-1, UH-60, T-42, U-21 and C-12 aircraft.

(5) Lieutenant Colonel Roupe was one of the most experienced Medical Service Corps aviators and was a Master Army Aviator and a combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm, the Bosnian War - Operation Joint Endeavor and two tours in Iraq - Operation Iraqi Freedom and in Afghanistan - Operation Enduring Freedom.

(b) Designation.--The bridge that carries State Route 18, Section D10, Segment 0070, Offset 0038, over Fish Creek in New Freeport Township, Greene County, is designated as the Lieutenant Colonel Cephus Lee Roupe Memorial Bridge.

(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the bridge to traffic in both directions on the bridge.

Section 2. Fayette Expressway Completion Organization (FAECO) Bridges.

(a) Findings and declarations.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) The Fayette Expressway Completion Organization, known as FAECO, was a citizens group formed to build a local support network for the construction of a limited-access, four-lane highway through Fayette County.

(2) The organization remained committed to completion of the project through all phases of the development of the Mon-Fayette Expressway (State Route 43) through Fayette County.

(b) Designation.--The bridges recognized as MF 195 and MF 196 carrying State Route 43 over the Dunlap Creek in Luzerne Township, Fayette County, are designated as the Fayette Expressway Completion Organization (FAECO) Bridges.

(c) Signs.--The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the bridges to traffic in both directions on the highway.

Section 3. Cornelius McElhenny Memorial Bridge.

(a) Findings and declarations.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) For many years, the bridge carrying S.R. 54 over the Reading and Northern Railroad in Mahanoy Township, Schuylkill County, Department of Transportation No. 53-0054-0290-0143, has been known as the Cornelius McElhenny Bridge.

(2) It was named for Cornelius McElhenny, a resident of Mahanoy Township and a lifelong public servant.

(3) Cornelius McElhenny was born June 13, 1900, and died February 11, 1971.

(4) He worked in the Morea colliery and served as president of the local chapter of the United Mine Workers of America from 1930 until 1943.

(5) Throughout his life, he also held positions as supervisor for Mahanoy Township, president of the Mahanoy Township Water Authority, member of the Schuylkill County Executive Board, member of the Mahanoy Township School Board, member of the Mahanoy Area School Board and director of the Morea-New Boston Breaker Corporation. He was also active in St. Canicus Roman Catholic Church of Mahanoy City.

(6) Cornelius McElhenny dedicated his life to his community, and it is fitting that the bridge be officially and permanently designated in his honor.

(b) Designation.--The bridge, known as State Bridge No. 53-0054-0290-0143, carrying S.R. 54 in Mahanoy Township, Schuylkill County, over the Reading and Northern Railroad, is hereby designated as the Cornelius McElhenny Memorial Bridge.

(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the bridge to traffic in both directions on the bridge.

Section 4. Effective date.

This act shall take effect as follows:

(1) Sections 1 and 3 of this act shall take effect in 60 days.

(2) The remainder of this act shall take effect immediately.