HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — Hampton officials will unveil a plaque on Monday naming a bridge for the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
A committee decided to rename the bridge on Mercury Boulevard — leading to Fort Monroe — after King in 2016. The city says formal markers for the renaming were delayed until legal agreements were approved by King’s family.
A group of citizens responded to the renaming decision in 2016 by signing a petition, which garnered more than 1,300 signatures. A representative of the group said at the time they were outraged because “Dr. King has no part of any history to Fort Monroe.”
A ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the bridge on Monday — which is also Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The city says it wanted to be able to use the holiday “to mark the significance of the renaming.”
Parking is being arranged on the Fort Monroe side of the bridge. The city says traffic on the bridge will be stopped during the actual ceremony.
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