Georgia CommonsHR 189: Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge; Fulton County; dedicate
Last action February 10, 2025 · House Second Readers
A House resolution would name the Interstate 85/75 bridge over Edgewood Avenue Southeast in Fulton County the Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge, honoring the Atlanta dentist and civil rights figure.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This resolution from the Georgia General Assembly honors Dr. Roy Charles Bell, an Atlanta dentist and civil rights leader, by naming a bridge after him. Dr. Bell was one of the first African Americans to practice dentistry in Atlanta and filed a 1964 lawsuit that ended segregation in the Georgia Dental Association and later the American Dental Association. He also worked as a special projects coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The resolution dedicates the bridge on Interstate 85/75 over Edgewood Avenue Southeast in Fulton County as the Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge. It directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to put up and maintain signs marking the dedication, and it directs the Clerk of the House to send copies of the resolution to Dr. Bell's family and to the Department of Transportation.
What the bill does
- Dedicates the bridge on Interstate 85/75 over Edgewood Avenue Southeast in Fulton County as the Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge.
- Directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs marking the bridge's new name.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to Dr. Bell's family and to the Department of Transportation.
Who it affects
The Georgia Department of Transportation, which must install and maintain the memorial signage, and the family of Dr. Roy Charles Bell, who receive formal copies of the resolution. Drivers on this stretch of Interstate 85/75 in Fulton County will see the new bridge name.
Why it matters
The change is symbolic and administrative: a physical sign will be added to an existing bridge to publicly commemorate Dr. Bell's contributions to dentistry and civil rights in Georgia. It does not alter traffic rules, funding, or any other area of state law.
Key provisions
- Names the bridge on Interstate 85/75 over Edgewood Avenue Southeast in Fulton County the Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge.
- Authorizes and directs the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain appropriate signs for the dedication.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to Dr. Bell's family and to the Department of Transportation.
From the bill
“the bridge on Interstate 85/Interstate 75 over Edgewood Avenue Southeast in Fulton County is dedicated as the Dr. Roy Charles Bell Memorial Bridge”
“in 1964 he filed a lawsuit that led to the end of segregation of the Georgia Dental Association and, subsequently, the American Dental Association”
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Eric Bell (D, HD-075)
- Phil Olaleye (D, HD-059)
- Inga Willis (D, HD-055)
- Karen Bennett (D, HD-094)
- Sharon Cooper (R, HD-045)
Topics
- bridge dedication
- Fulton County
- civil rights history
- Georgia Department of Transportation