Provided by Prince William County
The Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) unanimously approved a resolution on Nov. 24, 2020, to change the name of Route 1 in Prince William County to Richmond Highway. The County will now move forward with the name change process. This includes reaching out to business owners and residents who live along the impacted stretch of Route 1 in Prince William County to make this transition as smooth as possible.
Supervisor Margaret Angela Franklin testified before the Commonwealth Transportation Board. She said: “This a tremendous step in the right direction as we continue the revitalization of Route 1 and spur economic growth in Prince William County. As a majority minority county, it is time we move on from memorials to confederate leaders.”
Public engagement is a central focus of this effort. The County will ensure that the public, and specifically those impacted, stay informed throughout the process with virtual town halls, mailings and a dedicated webpage with information.
The project to rename Route 1 is expected to take up to two years to fully implement. Please know there is time to prepare business owners and residents for this change.
In addition, soon the Department of Economic Development will send a survey to impacted business owners via U.S. mail. The County asks that businesses who receive the survey take the time to complete it, as their feedback will help the County identify the most impactful resources available to assist businesses during this time of change.
Since 2019, local jurisdictions in Northern Virginia have undertaken efforts to rename Route 1 as Richmond Highway. Realizing it was time for a change in Prince William County, in September, the Board of County Supervisors approved a resolution to request that the CTB change the name of Route 1 in Prince William County from Jefferson Davis Highway.
Additional details are available on the Renaming Route 1 webpage. Submit questions via email to the Renaming Route 1 Task Force, or call 703.792.6825.
