Robert E. Lee Road name changed in Harris Co. in an effort to remove Confederate ties
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- As many people call for racial justice across the country, changes are coming to Houston roadways.
Robert E. Lee Road will now be known as Unison Road. The name change is part of an effort to remove or rename monuments, roads, parks and public spaces with Confederate ties.
The roadway runs from John Ralston to just east of Van Hut Lane in an unincorporated portion of East Harris County.
Commissioner Rodney Ellis requested the name change, which became official on July 14.
Starting as early as next week, new road signs will go up, and the county will send letters to residents who live along the road.
The name has not been changed on navigation services such as Google maps. Harris County engineers have sent a letter to USPS informing mail carriers of the name change.
SEE ALSO: Mayor Turner announces plans to move 2 Confederate statues in Houston
Two Confederate statues, "Dick Dowling" and "Spirit of Confederacy," were removed from Hermann and Heritage Park respectively in June.
The Spirit of Confederacy statue will be temporarily housed in a city warehouse and cleaned before being reinstalled at Houston's Museum of African American Culture.
The Dick Dowling statue was placed in a city storage for the time being.
