Pennsylvania HB 2221: An Act designating a portion of Pennsylvania Route 44 in Potter County as the Highway to the Stars.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 2915
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2221
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY KEPHART, VITALI, ROWE, JAMES, BRENNAN, STAATS,
ANDERSON, STENDER AND SMITH, FEBRUARY 17, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, FEBRUARY 17, 2026
AN ACT
Designating a bridge, identified as Bridge Key 52427, carrying
Pennsylvania Route 970 over the West Branch of the
Susquehanna River in Bradford Township, Clearfield County, as
the Ashley E. Woolridge Memorial Bridge.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Ashley E. Woolridge Memorial Bridge.
(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as
follows:
(1) Ashley E. Woolridge was born November 8, 1916.
(2) Mr. Woolridge attended Clearfield Public School,
where he graduated in 1934.
(3) Mr. Woolridge then attended West Point Military
Academy from 1934 to 1935.
(4) Mr. Woolridge received his bachelor of science
degree from Lock Haven State Teachers College in 1939 and
then attended Penn State College Graduate School, where he
was enrolled in the master's program in Education
Administration before being called into service in 1941.
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(5) Outside of work, Mr. Woolridge enjoyed his family,
horses, flying, the mountains, hunting and fishing.
(6) Mr. Woolridge also mined surface coal for over 50
years and taught related mathematics, science and English at
Hanover High School.
(7) Mr. Woolridge completed U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC)
Flying School in July 1942, commissioned as a Second
Lieutenant as a rated pilot in the USAAC.
(8) Mr. Woolridge went overseas during September 1943 as
pilot and flight leader in the 319th Bombardment Group and
flew a Martin B-26 Marauder.
(9) Throughout his service, Mr. Woolridge would fly the
North Atlantic (Labrador, Greenland, Iceland and England),
Africa during an invasion in November 1942, Sardinia, Corsica
and France.
(10) Mr. Woolridge was placed in command of the 320th
Bombardment Group in the 12th Air Force on November 1, 1944,
and then promoted to Colonel in February 1945 after 106
combat missions.
(11) Mr. Woolridge was honorably discharged in November
1945.
(12) Mr. Woolridge earned decorations such as the Silver
Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with two clusters, Air Medal
with 23 clusters, Presidential Unit Citation with two
clusters and two Croix de Guerre avec Palme.
(13) Mr. Woolridge passed away on May 3, 2004, at a
hospital in Pittsburgh.
(b) Designation.--The bridge, identified as Bridge Key
52427, carrying Pennsylvania Route 970 over the West Branch of
the Susquehanna River in Bradford Township, Clearfield County,
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is designated as the Ashley E. Woolridge Memorial Bridge.
(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and
maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the bridge to
traffic in both directions on the bridge.
Section 2. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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