Designating a bridge, identified as Bridge Key 25406, carrying Pennsylvania Route 346 over Willow Creek in Corydon Township, McKean County, as the Private First Class Bruce A. Cobb Memorial Bridge.
Summary
HB947 is a commemorative naming bill that designates Bridge Key 25406, which carries Pennsylvania Route 346 over Willow Creek in Corydon Township, McKean County, as the Private First Class Bruce A. Cobb Memorial Bridge. The bill includes legislative findings describing Bruce A. Cobb’s life and military service, noting that he was born in Bradford, served in the United States Marine Corps, was killed in action in Vietnam in 1968, and received multiple honors including the Purple Heart and other military citations.
The bill also directs the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs on the bridge identifying its new memorial name in both directions. The act takes effect 60 days after enactment. Substantively, the bill does not alter transportation policy, funding formulas, or regulatory standards; it creates a ceremonial designation for a specific state bridge and requires signage to reflect that designation.
Impact
HB947 amends state law only to the extent of officially naming a single bridge in McKean County and assigning PennDOT the administrative duty to install and maintain memorial signs. It affects the state transportation system in a limited, localized way by adding a commemorative bridge designation on Pennsylvania Route 346 over Willow Creek, but it does not change ownership, maintenance responsibility, traffic rules, or broader transportation statutes.
Sentiment
The available context suggests the bill is likely to be viewed positively and noncontroversially, as it honors a local Vietnam War veteran and Marine Corps servicemember with a memorial bridge designation. There is no recorded committee debate, no vote history, and no indication of opposition in the provided materials. Bills of this type are typically supported as symbolic recognitions of military service and local community heritage.
Contention
No notable contention is evident in the provided record. Because the bill is a straightforward memorial bridge naming measure, any discussion would likely center on the appropriateness of the honoree and the location of the designation rather than policy disputes. The absence of committee transcripts, amendments, or votes indicates there is no documented disagreement in the available materials.