PRINTER'S NO. 1308
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
1034
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY BAKER, ARGALL, CULVER, FLYNN, BOSCOLA, COMITTA,
PENNYCUICK, YAW, J. WARD, FARRY AND BROWN, JANUARY 5, 2024
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION, JANUARY 5, 2024
AN ACT
Designating a portion of State Route 3046, also known as the
South Valley Parkway, from the intersection with Middle Road
to the intersection with State Route 2008 in Hanover
Township, Luzerne County, as the Senator John Yudichak
Commerce Parkway.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Senator John Yudichak Commerce Parkway.
(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as
follows:
(1) John Yudichak was elected to three terms in the
Pennsylvania State Senate, serving from 2010 to 2022.
(2) Prior to his service in the Senate, he was elected
to six terms in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,
serving from 1999 to 2010.
(3) Collectively, John Yudichak admirably and honorably
represented Luzerne County in the General Assembly for 24
years.
(4) During his time in office, John Yudichak tirelessly
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worked on numerous projects benefiting not only the residents
of his legislative district, but also those of Luzerne County
and all of northeastern Pennsylvania.
(5) Of these endeavors, the largest and farthest-
reaching project involved the remediation and redevelopment
of the South Valley Corridor, located in the broader Wyoming
Valley of Luzerne County.
(6) This work included founding the South Valley
Partnership to develop a strategic economic development plan
for the communities of the City of Nanticoke, Hanover
Township, Newport Township, Ashley Borough, Sugar Notch
Borough and Warrior Run Borough.
(7) The strategic plan fostered a spirit of regional
collaboration to address the many challenges of municipal
governments and led to the creation of the Lower South Valley
Council of Governments.
(8) John Yudichak regularly worked closely with the
Earth Conservancy and Federal, State and local governments on
funding and projects to reclaim and remediate thousands of
acres of mine-scarred land in the Wyoming Valley.
(9) Tens of millions of dollars were secured for this
work which included the South Valley Corridor.
(10) Within the South Valley Corridor, John Yudichak
worked with Federal, State, county and local officials to
secure $90 million in Federal and State transportation
funding to construct the South Valley Parkway.
(11) The South Valley Parkway was constructed to
alleviate traffic congestion and improve traffic safety along
State Route 2008 and the project consisted of a new four-lane
highway with a split diamond interchange, two bridges, one
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culvert and several roundabouts.
(12) The economic development attached to the South
Valley has netted $1 billion in private investment, including
numerous national and international companies locating to the
immediate area.
(13) This surge of economic development has attracted
more than 6,000 new jobs to Luzerne County, leading the
Governor's Action Team, in 2021, to recognize northeastern
Pennsylvania as the leading economic development region in
this Commonwealth for private investment and job growth.
(b) Designation.--The portion of State Route 3046, also
known as the South Valley Parkway, from the intersection with
Middle Road to the intersection with State Route 2008 in Hanover
Township, Luzerne County, is designated as the Senator John
Yudichak Commerce Parkway.
(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and
maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the designated
highway to traffic in both directions on the highway.
Section 2. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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