A new Lebanon County bridge will be named in honor of the late Sen. David J. Arnold Jr. at a roadside ceremony beginning at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29.
The ceremony will be held on the grounds of Offroad Motorsports & Cycle Sales at 2309 PA-72, Jonestown, according to a press release from Sen. Chris Gebhard’s office.
Gebhard (R-48) authored a legislative amendment naming the bridge, which received unanimous support in Harrisburg. The release said the public is invited to attend the occasion.
Also in attendance at the ceremony to give remarks will be Jake Corman, former president pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate.
The new bridge, which carries Route 72 over Swatara Creek in Frog’s Hollow, opened to traffic on Dec. 12.
Read More: Route 72 bridge reopens over Swatara Creek in Union and Swatara townships
Act 63 of 2024, which was amended to include Gebhard’s provision, designates the newly built bridge on State Route 72 over Swatara Creek in Swatara and Union townships as the Sen. David J. Arnold Jr. Memorial Bridge. “The naming recognizes his years of public service to the commonwealth, Lebanon County and his local community,” the press release says.
The bill was approved by the state Senate last year on April 29 and approved by the House on July 2. The Senate on July 8 concurred with amendments added by the House.
“Sen. Arnold made an indelible mark on our community. His legacy should be remembered and serve as an inspiration for us all,” Gebhard said in a statement. “He served in multiple roles that helped Pennsylvanians of all ages, including those who were victims of heinous crimes. Sen. Arnold truly made Lebanon County a safer and better place to live.”
Before being elected to the Senate in 2019, Arnold served as district attorney for Lebanon County for 14 years. He was a member of former Gov. Tom Corbett’s elder abuse task force and served as president of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association.
During his tenure in the state Senate, Arnold worked to advance causes protecting children in Pennsylvania, authoring legislation to increase penalties on those convicted of possession of child sexual abuse materials and establishing a task force to combat the crime. He also sponsored legislation to ensure that Lebanon County did not lose out on federal pandemic funding and championed the cause of restaurants and other small business employers impacted by statewide business closures.
Arnold was 49 years old when he died on Jan. 17, 2021, after a battle with brain cancer. He was a lifelong resident of Lebanon County.
The new bridge is made of prestressed concrete beams, a concrete deck, and concrete abutments on the stream banks. It replaced a 1930-era, two-span arch structure that had a center pier in the Swatara Creek and a narrow concrete deck.
It was built by Susquehanna Valley Construction Corp. of New Cumberland. The project cost $4,961,250.
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