Posted on June 20, 2023

Fairfax County’s Lee and Lee Jackson Memorial Highways Shed Confederate Names in July

Ida Domingo, WJLA, June 16, 2023

Two popular and well-traveled highways in Fairfax County will be shedding their Confederate names next month.

County officials said Thursday that Lee Highway (Route 29) and Lee Jackson Memorial Highway (Route 50) names will change to their route numbers 29 and 50 in Fairfax County on July 5.

“The renaming of both roadways signifies our unwavering dedication to acknowledging the experiences of our community, especially our African American neighbors. Thanks to the dedicated work of all the community members who participated in the Confederate Names Task Force, we can put these divisive names behind us and continue to move our County in the right direction,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay.

This comes after the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in favor of the change in September 2022.

The Board of Supervisors recognized that the current names of the highways no longer align with the county’s values.

“The decision to change the highway names was made after careful consideration and input from community members and business owners,” officials said.

{snip}