House Infrastructure Naming Resolution

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Roger Hanshaw

The resolution directs the West Virginia Division of Highways to name numerous bridges and road segments as memorials to military personnel, veterans, and local figures, with accom

House received Senate message

Purpose and Intent

This House Concurrent Resolution directs the West Virginia Division of Highways to name specific infrastructure within the state.

The naming requests cover a wide range of structures (primarily bridges and certain road segments) and include commemorative titles honoring military personnel, veterans, public servants, local community figures, and significant local groups or events.

The resolution serves as an official declarative act of the Legislature, instructing naming actions and authorizing accompanying signage as described in the bill.

Key Provisions and Changes

The Division of Highways is requested to name a large list of bridges and road segments, including but not limited to:

Multiple bridges identified by structure numbers (e.g., 04-079/00-067.01; 39-052/00-002.84; 10-061/00-025.69; 21-019/00-006.49; 43-021/00-000.06, etc.), often with a memorial designation in the official name (e.g., “John and Virginia Skidmore Memorial Bridge,” “Donald ‘Tiny’ Lucas Veterans Memorial Bridge,” “Charles Edward Sine Memorial Bridge,” etc.).
Entire road segments or portions named after individuals or themes (e.g., “Hill Family Veterans Memorial Highway,” “U.S. Army CPL George Browning Memorial Road,” “Dragon Highway” reflecting Cameron High School Dragons, and various memorial roads).
Several naming actions include signage language (e.g., “with accompanying signage stating,” or specific sign placements) to reflect the intended commemorative titles.

The resolutions frequently pair a bridge or road with a memorial designation tied to military service, local history, or notable community members.

The act also includes directives to place signage and mark the named segments accordingly, and to publicize the naming by forwarding copies of the resolution to the appropriate parties.

Who is Affected

The primary administrative impact falls on the West Virginia Division of Highways, which would implement the requested names on the designated infrastructure.

Communities where the bridges and roads are located would be affected by the new memorial designations and any associated signage.

The general public using these routes would encounter the commemorative names in place of or alongside original designations.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Legislative action timeline:

Introduced in the House on January 16, 2026, initially referred to Energy and Public Works, then Rules.
Underwent committee substitutes and was brought to the floor for passage in January 2026.
The Senate adopted the measure and transmitted it to the House; the House subsequently adopted and communicated it back to the Senate.
Overall, the bill progressed rapidly within January 2026, culminating in a concurrent resolution that directs the naming.

As a concurrent resolution, the bill expresses legislative intent and directs action by the Division of Highways without creating new statutes or funding mechanisms. It relies on existing administrative processes for naming and signage.

Notes

The list is extensive and details numerous specific structures and memorial designations, reflecting broad bipartisan or broad Legislative support for commemorative naming across many counties.

The resolution includes the standard closing directive: the Clerk of the House should forward copies of the resolution to the parties submitting the naming requests.

Bill