--- title: HR 1609. Lt. Col. Albert "Butch" S. Welch Jr. Memorial Bridge; Dekalb County; dedicate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1609 cite_as: HR 1609, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1609 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1609.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1609/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73936 date: 2026-03-10 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1608.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1610.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1609.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1609 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-06 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Segun Adeyina - Karen Lupton text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1609/2025 upstream_id: 2130709 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - memorial bridge - DeKalb County - veterans - Georgia Department of Transportation - honorary resolutions --- # HR 1609. Lt. Col. Albert "Butch" S. Welch Jr. Memorial Bridge; Dekalb County; dedicate ## Text House Resolution 1609 By: Representatives Adeyina of the 110th and Lupton of the 83rd A RESOLUTION Honoring the life of Lieutenant Colonel Albert "Butch" S. Welch, Jr., and dedicating a bridge in his memory; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, our nation's security continues to rely on patriotic men and women who put their personal lives on hold in order to place themselves in harm's way to protect the freedoms that all United States citizens cherish; and WHEREAS, Lieutenant Colonel Albert "Butch" S. Welch, Jr., served as a guardian of this nation's freedom and liberty with the United States Army and honorably served this nation for two tours of duty in Afghanistan as a combat engineer; and WHEREAS, Lt. Col. Welch diligently and conscientiously devoted innumerable hours of his time, talents, and energy toward the betterment of his community and state as evidenced dramatically by his superlative service with the Georgia Department of Transportation, where he served as an engineer for nearly 30 years; and WHEREAS, he worked on numerous road projects across this state, including improvements along North Druid Hills that significantly enhanced access to hospitals on the east side of Interstate 85; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this remarkable and distinguished Georgian be recognized appropriately by dedicating a bridge in his memory. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that the bridge on State Route 42 over State Route 403 (I-85) in DeKalb County is dedicated as the Lt. Col. Albert "Butch" S. Welch Jr. Memorial Bridge. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is authorized and directed to erect and maintain appropriate signs dedicating the Lt. Col. Albert "Butch" S. Welch Jr. Memorial Bridge. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Lieutenant Colonel Albert "Butch" S. Welch, Jr., and to the Department of Transportation. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution would name the bridge carrying State Route 42 over Interstate 85 in DeKalb County the Lt. Col. Albert "Butch" S. Welch Jr. Memorial Bridge, honoring the late Army veteran and longtime state transportation engineer. ### Plain-language summary This resolution honors Lieutenant Colonel Albert "Butch" S. Welch, Jr., who served two tours in Afghanistan as a combat engineer in the United States Army and later worked for nearly 30 years as an engineer with the Georgia Department of Transportation, including on road projects along North Druid Hills in DeKalb County. The resolution designates the bridge carrying State Route 42 over State Route 403 (Interstate 85) in DeKalb County as the Lt. Col. Albert "Butch" S. Welch Jr. Memorial Bridge. It directs the Department of Transportation to put up and maintain signs marking the dedication, and it directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send copies of the resolution to Welch's family and to the Department of Transportation. ### What it does - Dedicates the bridge carrying State Route 42 over State Route 403 (Interstate 85) in DeKalb County as the Lt. Col. Albert "Butch" S. Welch Jr. Memorial Bridge. - Directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs marking the bridge's new name. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send copies of the resolution to Welch's family and to the Department of Transportation. ### Who it affects The resolution directly affects the Georgia Department of Transportation, which must install and maintain the memorial signage, and the family of Lt. Col. Albert "Butch" S. Welch, Jr., who will receive copies of the honor. Drivers using the DeKalb County bridge will see the new dedication signs. ### Why it matters The change is symbolic rather than regulatory: it does not alter traffic rules, funding, or road design, but it creates a lasting public marker recognizing a Georgia veteran and state engineer, and it commits the Department of Transportation to installing and maintaining the signage. ### Key provisions - The resolved clause dedicates the bridge on State Route 42 over State Route 403 (I-85) in DeKalb County as the Lt. Col. Albert "Butch" S. Welch Jr. Memorial Bridge. - A further resolved clause authorizes and directs the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain appropriate signs for the dedication. - A final clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to Welch's family and the Department of Transportation. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-03-06) - Last action: House Second Readers (2026-03-10) - Sponsors: Segun Adeyina, Karen Lupton - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73936 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1609.md?full=1