Five Indiana County bridges will be renamed as part of recent legislation passed into law, according to Senator Joe Pittman .
The five bills to rename the bridges were part of a package of multiple bills dealing with renaming roads and bridges in the state. Four of the bills were originally introduced by Pittman’s predecessor, Senator Don White. The bridges set to be re-named in Indiana County include:
- A bridge that carries Route 56 over the Conemaugh River, which will be renamed the Specialist Beverly S. Clark Memorial Bridge. Clark was part of the Westmoreland County-based 14th Quartermaster Detachment of the Army Reserves. She was killed in 1991 during a Scud missile attack on the US Military Barracks in Riyadh Saudi Arabia
- The Route 553 bridge over Dutch Run in Pine Township as the Private Chauncey Franklin Davis memorial bridge. Davis was a native of Alverda and enlisted in the Marines in 1942, serving in the Pacific Theater during World War 2 as a member of the 3rd marine division. He was killed in the Battle of Piva Forks in the Solomon Islands
- The Route 403 bridge over Dixon Run in Clymer as the Private First Class Martin J. Popson Memorial Bridge. Popson served in the army in World War II and was honored with the distinguished service cross for his heroism in action during the liberation of Manila.
- The Route 422 Bridge over Yellow Creek in Cherryhill Township as the Private First Class Ralph E. Dias memorial bridge. Dias was from Shelocta and served in the Marines Corps in Vietnam. He was killed at the age of 19 in combat in Vietnam.
- The Route 119 bridge over Yellow Creek as the Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Robertson memorial bridge in honor of the woman who became a role model for women in STEM Education.
Senator Pittman said that he is working with PennDOT to get the signs up for those bridges soon.
