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Dedication ceremony for bridge renamed for MLK in Hampton

Posted at 6:13 PM, Jan 11, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-11 18:13:57-05

HAMPTON, Va. – This coming Monday on Martin Luther King Day, Hampton will rename a bridge in the city to honor of Martin Luther King Jr. 

The ceremony to dedicate the bridge will be on January 15 at 1 p.m., and city officials and council members will be in attendance for the event that is open to the public.

The measure to rename the bridge on Mercury Boulevard that leads to Fort Monroe was approved in 2016; however, the formal markers were delayed until all legal agreements were approved by the King family. The renaming also honors the three enslaved men who sought freedom and protection at Fort Monroe, a crucial development that helped pave the way for the  Emancipation Proclamation, according to Hampton officials.

The event will follow the Ministers Coalition of Hampton and the Vicinity ‘s annual King breakfast.

Fort Monroe Authority is arranging for some parking on the Fort Monroe side of the bridge. Traffic on the bridge will be stopped during the ceremony, say officials.