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Prince William County votes to rename Jefferson Davis Highway

Following similar moves by Alexandria and Arlington Counties, it will be renamed Richmond Highway

MANASSAS, Va. — Prince William County voted to rename a 12-mile stretch of highway currently named for former Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

Prince William County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the change to the stretch of U.S. Route 1 on Wednesday.

The highway runs the entire eastern length of the county outside of Washington and through other portions of the state. 

The vote allows the board to petition the Commonwealth Transportation Board in Richmond for a formal change. 

The county plans to rename it Richmond Highway, following moves by neighboring Arlington and Alexandria counties.

Arlington and Alexandria made the change last year. 

RELATED: Jefferson Davis Highway signs come down in Virginia

Credit: WUSA
Crews remove the old Jefferson Davis Highway signs in Northern Va. and replace them with signs that read "Richmond Highway."

It's not clear how much Prince William County plans to spend on new street signs, but Arlington County estimated it spent about $17,000 making the change.

The name change comes after renewed calls for removal of names and monuments with ties to the Confederacy.

Multiple Confederate monuments in Richmond were rallying points and sites of clashes with police following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Back in July, Virginia removed the busts and a statue honoring Confederate generals and officials from its state capitol.

RELATED: Richmond saw nearly $4M in fire damage during initial unrest

RELATED: Virginia panel: move Lee statue from U.S Capitol to museum

RELATED: House votes to remove Confederate statues from Capitol

RELATED: 'It's confusing to drivers' | Arlington uses new strategy to change name of Jefferson Davis Highway

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