PRINTER'S NO. 16
No. 16 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY PRATT, JANUARY 23, 1979
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, JANUARY 23, 1979
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 14, 1955 (P.L.174, No.52), entitled "An
2 act to facilitate vehicular traffic in the southwestern
3 section of the Commonwealth by providing for the
4 construction, operation and maintenance of a turnpike from a
5 connection with the Pennsylvania Turnpike System, at or near
6 a point west of or east of the City of Pittsburgh as the
7 Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission may decide is most feasible
8 and practicable, thence in a general southerly direction to
9 the West Virginia border to connect with the West Virginia
10 Turnpike, or any extension thereof, at such point as the
11 Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission may decide is the most
12 feasible and practicable, and conferring powers and imposing
13 duties on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission; authorizing
14 the issuance of turnpike revenue bonds, notes or other
15 obligations of the Commonwealth, payable solely from revenues
16 of the Commission, including tolls, or from such funds as may
17 be available to the Commission for that purpose, to pay the
18 cost of the turnpike; providing that no debt of the
19 Commonwealth shall be incurred in the exercise of any of the
20 powers granted by this act; providing for the collection of
21 tolls for the payment of the bonds, notes or other
22 obligations, and for the cost of maintenance, operation and
23 repair of the turnpike; making the turnpike bonds, notes or
24 other obligations exempt from taxation; constituting the same
25 legal investments in certain instances; requiring suits
26 against the Commission to be brought in Dauphin County;
27 prescribing conditions on which the turnpike shall become
28 free; providing for grade separations, grade changes,
29 relocations, restoration and vacation of public roads and
30 State highways affected by the turnpike; providing for the
31 purchasing or condemnation of land and procedure for
32 determining damages in condemnation; granting certain powers
33 and authority to municipal subdivisions and agencies of the
34 Commonwealth to cooperate with the Commission; and
35 authorizing the issuance of turnpike revenue refunding
1 bonds," changing the route of the turnpike.
2 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
3 hereby enacts as follows:
4 Section 1. The title, section 2 and clause (3) of section 4,
5 act of June 14, 1955 (P.L.74, No.52), known as the "Pennsylvania
6 Turnpike Southwestern Extension Act," are amended to read:
7 AN ACT
8 To facilitate vehicular traffic in the southwestern section of
9 the Commonwealth by providing for the construction, operation
10 and maintenance of a turnpike from a connection with the
11 Pennsylvania Turnpike System, at or near [a point west of or
12 east of the City of Pittsburgh] Interchange No.2 as the
13 Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission may decide is most feasible
14 and practicable, thence in a general southerly direction to
15 [the West Virginia border to connect with the West Virginia
16 Turnpike, or any extension thereof] Interstate Route 79, at
17 such point as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission may decide
18 is the most feasible and practicable, and conferring powers
19 and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission;
20 authorizing the issuance of turnpike revenue bonds, notes or
21 other obligations of the Commonwealth, payable solely from
22 revenues of the Commission, including tolls, or from such
23 funds as may be available to the Commission for that purpose,
24 to pay the cost of the turnpike; providing that no debt of
25 the Commonwealth shall be incurred in the exercise of any of
26 the powers granted by this act; providing for the collection
27 of tolls for the payment of the bonds, notes or other
28 obligations, and for the cost of maintenance, operation and
29 repair of the turnpike; making the turnpike bonds, notes or
30 other obligations exempt from taxation; constituting the same
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1 legal investments in certain instances; requiring suits
2 against the Commission to be brought in Dauphin County;
3 prescribing conditions on which the turnpike shall become
4 free; providing for grade separations, grade changes,
5 relocations, restoration and vacation of public roads and
6 State highways affected by the turnpike; providing for the
7 purchasing or condemnation of land and procedure for
8 determining damages in condemnation; granting certain powers
9 and authority to municipal subdivisions and agencies of the
10 Commonwealth to cooperate with the Commission; and
11 authorizing the issuance of turnpike revenue refunding
12 bonds."
13 Section 2. In order to facilitate vehicular traffic in the
14 southwestern section of the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania
15 Turnpike Commission heretofore created by virtue of the
16 provisions of the act of May twenty-one, one thousand nine
17 hundred thirty-seven (Pamphlet Laws 774), and the supplements
18 and amendments thereto, is hereby authorized and empowered to
19 construct, operate and maintain a turnpike, at such location as
20 shall be approved by the Governor and the Department of
21 [Highways] Transportation, from a connection with the
22 Pennsylvania Turnpike System, at or near [a point west of or
23 east of the City of Pittsburgh] Interchange No.2 as the
24 Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission may decide is most feasible and
25 practicable, thence in a general southerly direction to [the
26 West Virginia border to connect with the West Virginia Turnpike,
27 or any extension thereof] Interstate Route 79, at such point as
28 the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission may decide is the most
29 feasible and practicable, together with connecting roads,
30 tunnels and bridges using the existing Pennsylvania Route 60 so
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1 far as possible; and to issue turnpike revenue bonds of the
2 Commonwealth, notes or other obligations, payable solely from
3 revenues of the Commission, including tolls, or from such funds
4 as may be available to the Commission for that purpose, to pay
5 the costs of such construction.
6 Section 4. The following words and terms shall have the
7 following meanings:
8 * * *
9 (3) The words "the turnpike" shall mean the turnpike to be
10 constructed, as hereinafter provided, from a connection with the
11 Pennsylvania Turnpike System [from a point west of or east of
12 the City of Pittsburgh] at or near Interchange No.2 as the
13 Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission may decide is most feasible and
14 practicable, then in a general southerly direction to [the West
15 Virginia border to connect with the West Virginia Turnpike, or
16 any extension thereof] Interstate Route 79, at such point as the
17 Commission may decide is the most feasible and practicable for
18 the further extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike System, and
19 may be constructed as a whole at one time or in sections from
20 time to time, as the Commission shall determine and may use the
21 existing Pennsylvania Route 60 so far as possible, and shall be
22 deemed to include not only the turnpike and all connecting
23 roads, tunnels and bridges connected therewith, but also all
24 property, rights, easements and franchises relating thereto and
25 deemed necessary or convenient for the construction or the
26 operation thereof.
27 * * *
28 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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