HOUSE AMENDED

 

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1805

PRINTER'S NO.  2258

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

SENATE BILL

 

No.

1288

Session of

2010

  

  

INTRODUCED BY STOUT, WARD AND KASUNIC, MARCH 24, 2010

  

  

AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, OCTOBER 5, 2010   

  

  

  

AN ACT

  

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Designating the replacement bridge that carries for the bridge

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carrying State Route 2018 over the Monongahela River from the

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Borough of North Charleroi, Washington County, to the City of

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Monessen, Westmoreland County, as the Governor John K. Tener

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Memorial Bridge.

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The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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hereby enacts as follows:

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Section 1.  Governor John K. Tener Memorial Bridge.

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(a)  Declaration of policy.--The General Assembly finds and

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declares as follows:

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(1)  John K. Tener moved to Charleroi on April 20, 1891

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and became the President of the First National Bank of

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Charleroi by 1898. He organized the Charleroi Savings & Trust

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company being its Secretary/Treasurer as well as being

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President of the Mercantile Bridge Company and was the

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Director of the Webster-Monessen, Belle Vernon, Fayette City

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Street Railway Co. (Trolleys) and of the Westside Street

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Railway Company.

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(1)  John Kinley Tener, 1863-1946, a former congressman,

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was the second of three governors elected from Washington

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County. He has the distinction of being the only foreign-born

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governor since the office was formed in 1790. He was born in

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County Tyrone, Ireland, on July 25, 1863. He moved to

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Charleroi, Washington County, on April 20, 1891, and became

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the president of the First National Bank of Charleroi by

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1898. He organized the Charleroi Savings & Trust Company and

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served as its secretary/treasurer, was president of the

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Mercantile Bridge Company and director of the Webster-

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Monessen, Belle Vernon, Fayette City Street Railway Company

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(Trolleys) and of the Westside Street Railway Company.

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(2)  John K. Tener served as Governor of Pennsylvania

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from 1911 to 1915 and was considered a highway czar signing

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into law the "Sproul Road Bill." This law facilitated the

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improvement of State roads across this Commonwealth. He was

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also instrumental in having the Charleroi-Monessen Bridge

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built.

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(3)  Among his other accomplishments, Tener, who stood 6

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feet 4 inches, was a former major league baseball player. He

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started out briefly as an outfielder with the Baltimore

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Orioles in 1885. He later played for the Chicago White

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Stockings, now the Cubs, as a pitcher and outfielder. He had

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a 7-5 record with a 2.74 ERA in 1888 and went 15-15 with a

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3.64 ERA in 1889. Tener maintained his interest in baseball

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after retiring as a player. In 1912, Governor Tener spoke out

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against gambling in baseball and informed district attorneys

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around the State that he believed existing laws could be used

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against illegal betting. In 1913, Philadelphia Phillies owner

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William Baker proposed that Governor Tener become National

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League president. Tener accepted the offer at a contract of

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$25,000 per year but was not paid until April 1915, when his

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term as Governor expired.

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(4)  The Charleroi-Monessen Bridge was constructed by

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Tener's Mercantile Bridge Company as an early example of a

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public-private partnership. The bridge was purchased by the

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Commonwealth in 1949, but tolls were continued until it

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became free to the public in 1956.

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(5)   The Charleroi-Monessen Bridge was rehabilitated

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shortly after World War II and again in 1986. The bridge was

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closed in mid-February 2009 after a routine inspection

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revealed deterioration of a vertical panel that supports the

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middle of the bridge. A new bridge will replace the current

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structure. The 24-month project will include replacing the

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three truss spans and rehabilitating the approach spans at a

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cost of $25,000,000 to $35,000,000.

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(b)  Designation.--The bridge that carries will replace the

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bridge carrying State Route 2018 over the Monongahela River from

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the Borough of North Charleroi, Washington County, to the City

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of Monessen, Westmoreland County, shall be designated as the

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Governor John K. Tener Memorial Bridge.

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(c)  Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall place and

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maintain appropriate signs at both ends of the bridge designated

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in subsection (b).

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Section 2.  Effective date.

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This act shall take effect in 60 days immediately.

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