PRINTER'S NO. 1042
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
894
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY SCAVELLO, RAFFERTY, HUTCHINSON AND BARTOLOTTA,
JUNE 12, 2015
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION, JUNE 12, 2015
AN ACT
Designating the bridge on that portion of State Route 940 over
Tobyhanna Creek (Pocono Lake) in Tobyhanna Township, Monroe
County, as the Sullivan Bridge.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Sullivan Bridge.
(a) Findings and declarations.--The General Assembly finds
and declares as follows:
(1) In 1779, General George Washington ordered General
John Sullivan to take approximately 30% of the Continental
Army into Upstate New York. The purpose was to quash the
aligned British and Six Nations of the Iroquois, who were
invading Wilkes-Barre, killing hundreds of military and
civilians. The ultimate goal of the British was to gain
control of the Susquehanna River from Upstate New York to
Baltimore, splitting the colonies to end the rebellion.
(2) As the Army gathered in Easton, there was no road
over the Pocono Mountains to accommodate thousands of troops,
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horses, wagons, cannons and supplies. Two regiments of 500
military road builders accomplished the task in just six
weeks, from Tannersville to Wilkes-Barre. It was a desolate
area of forests and swamps, requiring a Herculean effort with
just hand tools. The worst section, known as the Great Swamp,
was located in what is now Tobyhanna Township. The only
bridge the military road builders needed to construct for the
new road was over the Tobyhanna Creek. It was immediately
named Sullivan Bridge by the construction army. Through the
years, the bridge naming was forgotten and should rightfully
be restored.
(3) Sullivan's Expedition was a success, remarkably with
fewer than 50 fatalities. It stopped the British in their
tracks, contributing significantly to the birth of our
nation. Equally impressive is that the new road, Sullivan's
Trail over the Pocono Mountain, opened the region to
settlement and development by connecting northeastern
Pennsylvania and Upstate New York to the Philadelphia area
and its port.
(4) Today, Sullivan Bridge continues to significantly
serve the region. State Route 940 provides important access
to western Monroe County and points beyond. It serves as the
major alternative to Interstate 80 in cases of emergencies on
the heavily traveled interstate highway. It is at the center
of recreational tourism for the Poconos, allowing thousands
to enjoy the streams, lakes, forests and all that abounds in
the area.
(5) The bridge, named for General John Sullivan,
represents the northeastern Pennsylvania region's vital role
in preserving over time our nation's independence.
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(b) Designation.--The bridge located on that portion of
State Route 940, over Tobyhanna Creek (Pocono Lake) in Tobyhanna
Township, Monroe County, is hereby designated the Sullivan
Bridge.
(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and
maintain appropriate signs to indicate the designation under
subsection (b).
Section 2. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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