HOUSE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1810, 1829 PRINTER'S NO. 1963
No. 1222 Session of 2006
INTRODUCED BY ROBBINS, LEMMOND, EARLL, MADIGAN, MELLOW, SCARNATI
AND M. WHITE, JUNE 7, 2006
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
JUNE 28, 2006
AN ACT
1 Designating the portion of U.S. Route 6 in Linesville Borough,
2 Crawford County, as the U.S. Route 6 "Gateway to the West"
3 AND "GATEWAY TO Pennsylvania" and designating the portion of
4 U.S. Route 6 in Matamoras Borough, Pike County, as the U.S.
5 Route 6 "Gateway to the East" and "Gateway to Pennsylvania." <--
6 PENNSYLVANIA"; AND AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF <--
7 TRANSPORTATION, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNOR, TO GRANT
8 AND CONVEY TO AMFIRE MINING COMPANY, LLC, THE RIGHT TO REMOVE
9 COAL UNDERLYING CERTAIN HIGHWAY RIGHT-OF-WAY SITUATE IN
10 CRESSON TOWNSHIP, CAMBRIA COUNTY.
11 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
12 hereby enacts as follows:
13 Section 1. Route 6 Gateway Designation.
14 (a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as
15 follows:
16 (1) Historic U.S. Route 6 is the longest highway ever
17 established in the United States, stretching 3,652 miles from
18 Provincetown on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, all the way to Long
19 Beach Island in California.
20 (2) In October of 1925, as part of a recommended 75,884-
1 mile U.S. numbered highway system, the Joint Board on
2 Interstate Highways proposed U.S. Route 6 from Provincetown,
3 Massachusetts, through Rhode Island and Connecticut and
4 stretching to Brewster, New York.
5 (3) By the time the debates on this system concluded and
6 the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO)
7 approved the proposal, United States Highway No. 6 consisted
8 of 707 miles stretching from Provincetown to Erie,
9 Pennsylvania. A large gap in this route (through New York)
10 was filled in 1928.
11 (4) The historic highway began as an entity in November
12 of 1926 when the American Association of State Highway
13 Officials adopted the Federal numbering system for marking
14 the nation's main interstate highways.
15 (5) U.S. Route 6 was signed in 1926 and in the early
16 years its western terminus was in Erie, Pennsylvania.
17 (6) In 1938, U.S. 6 was widened from Clarks Summit to
18 Scranton and Milford to the New York state line.
19 (7) Once known as the Theodore Roosevelt Highway, Route
20 6 was formally dedicated as the Grand Army of the Republic
21 Highway at a ceremony in Long Beach, California, on May 3,
22 1953.
23 (8) Route 6 runs exactly 399.81 miles in Pennsylvania.
24 (9) With origins that predate the American Colonies,
25 U.S. Route 6 has grown as the United States has grown -- from
26 the Appalachian Mountains of New York and Pennsylvania, to
27 the Great Plains of Iowa and Nebraska, to the Rocky Mountains
28 of Colorado and Utah, Route 6 connects big cities like
29 Cleveland and Denver, state capitals like Providence and Des
30 Moines, and small hamlets like Nappanee, Indiana, and Ely,
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1 Nevada. These towns and regions could benefit greatly from
2 protecting and promoting this historic resource.
3 (10) This historic transcontinental highway continues to
4 be one of the most unique and scenic roadways in the world
5 and is a valuable resource worth protecting and showcasing.
6 (11) Pennsylvania has authorized the Route 6 Heritage
7 Corridor as the Commonwealth's twelfth heritage park,
8 stretching through eleven northern counties.
9 (12) The corridor connects four State heritage areas and
10 two national heritage areas, traverses through the Pocono
11 Mountains, Endless Mountains, Allegheny Mountains, the
12 Allegheny National Forest and two large State forest tracts,
13 is close to at least 19 State parks, and serves as an entry
14 point for the Great Lakes Region, the Pennsylvania Northeast
15 Mountain Region as well as the "Pennsylvania Wilds" -- an
16 initiative aimed at increasing nature-based tourism in the
17 State's north central counties.
18 (13) The Pennsylvania entry points, Linesville in
19 Crawford County and Matamoras in Pike County, have long been
20 considered as the Pennsylvania gateways to the west and east,
21 respectively.
22 (14) Linesville, which is the 500 mile marker between
23 New York and Chicago, is a borough located in Crawford County
24 with a population of approximately 1,155.
25 (15) Linesville will be the future home of the National
26 U.S. Route 6 Museum, which will highlight the impact and
27 importance of Route 6 on the development of our country and
28 will provide opportunities to educate the public on its
29 historic and current significance.
30 (16) Matamoras is a borough located in Pike County with
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1 a population of approximately 2,312.
2 (b) Designation.--
3 (1) The portion of Route 6 in Linesville Borough,
4 Crawford County, is designated as the U.S. Route 6 "Gateway
5 to the West" for westbound traffic and "Gateway to
6 Pennsylvania" for eastbound traffic.
7 (2) The portion of Route 6 in Matamoras Borough, Pike
8 County, is designated as the U.S. Route 6 "Gateway to the
9 East" for eastbound traffic and "Gateway to Pennsylvania" for
10 westbound traffic.
11 (c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall, in
12 consultation with the Boroughs of Linesville and Matamoras,
13 erect and maintain signs to indicate the designations under
14 subsection (b).
15 SECTION 2. AMFIRE MINING COMPANY, LLC. <--
16 (A) CONVEYANCE AUTHORIZED.--THE DEPARTMENT OF
17 TRANSPORTATION, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNOR, IS AUTHORIZED
18 TO GRANT AND CONVEY TO AMFIRE MINING COMPANY, LLC, THE RIGHT TO
19 REMOVE COAL UNDERLYING HIGHWAY RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR STATE ROUTES
20 0022 AND 0053 (THE CRESSON INTERCHANGE) SITUATE IN CRESSON
21 TOWNSHIP, CAMBRIA COUNTY, AS DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (B), FOR
22 FAIR MARKET VALUE AS DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT, WITH THE
23 APPROVAL OF THE GOVERNOR.
24 (B) PROPERTY DESCRIPTION.--THE HIGHWAY RIGHT-OF-WAY UNDER
25 WHICH THE DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED TO GRANT AND CONVEY COAL
26 MINING RIGHTS PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION CONSISTS OF 87 ACRES,
27 MORE OR LESS, SHOWN AS REQUIRED RIGHT OF WAY FOR LEGISLATIVE
28 ROUTE 1101 (STATE ROUTE 0022) FROM STATION 407+19 TO STATION
29 441+81 AND LEGISLATIVE ROUTE 276 (STATE ROUTE 0053) FROM STATION
30 18+50 TO STATION 58+97, AS SHOWN ON PLANS ENTITLED "DRAWINGS
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1 ESTABLISHING LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY AND AUTHORIZING CONDEMNATION
2 OF RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR LEG ROUTE 1101 SECTION G11R/W IN CAMBRIA
3 COUNTY, FROM STA 403+49.00 TO STA 541+15.00 LENGTH 13,700 FT.
4 2.608 MI., ALSO LEG ROUTE 276 SECTION 38R/W , FROM STA 8+00 TO
5 STA 65+25.00, LEG ROUTE 11028 SECTION 2R/2W, FROM STA 12+25.00
6 TO STA 48+25.00," SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR ON APRIL 26, 1980, AND
7 RECORDED IN THE CAMBRIA COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN STATE HIGHWAY RIGHT
8 OF WAY BOOK A, PAGE 22, ON APRIL 29, 1980.
9 (C) CONDITIONS.--THE CONVEYANCE SHALL BE MADE UNDER AND
10 SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:
11 (1) LAWFUL AND ENFORCEABLE EASEMENTS, SERVITUDES AND
12 RIGHTS OF OTHERS.
13 (2) LAWFUL AND ENFORCEABLE ESTATES OR TENANCIES VESTED
14 IN THIRD PERSONS APPEARING OF RECORD OR NOT, FOR ANY PORTION
15 OF THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OR COAL RIGHTS.
16 (3) ALL COSTS OF REMEDIATION TO THE HIGHWAY
17 INFRASTRUCTURE DUE TO SUBSIDENCE CAUSED BY COAL MINING
18 OPERATIONS OF THE GRANTEE SHALL BE BORNE BY THE GRANTEE.
19 (4) OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY
20 THE DEPARTMENT TO ADDRESS ISSUES RELATING TO THE REMOVAL OF
21 COAL UNDERLYING STATE HIGHWAYS BY AMFIRE WITHIN THE CRESSON
22 MINE PERMIT BOUNDARIES, WHETHER OR NOT THE COAL IS OWNED BY
23 THE COMMONWEALTH.
24 (D) CONVEYANCE.--THE CONVEYANCE SHALL BE BY OPTION AND LEASE
25 AGREEMENT EXECUTED BY THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE
26 NAME OF THE COMMONWEALTH.
27 (E) COSTS AND FEES.--COSTS AND FEES INCIDENTAL TO THE
28 CONVEYANCE SHALL BE BORNE BY THE GRANTEE.
29 Section 2 3. Effective date. <--
30 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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