A portion of a Phoenix area freeway will be renamed in honor of late Arizona Congressmember Ed Pastor. The Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names has approved the naming of a 22-mile South Mountain section of Loop 202 to Congressman Ed Pastor Freeway.
Pastor died last year at the age of 75 after serving more than 40 years as a member of Congress and on the Board of Supervisors for Maricopa County.
Pastor was the first Mexican American from Arizona elected to Congress.
Officials say the name change was requested by Democratic Representative Diego Espinoza, with support from the Pastor family.
Pastor played a pivotal role in funding and building transportation systems including the Metro Light Rail and securing a tax to build the central Phoenix stadium where the Arizona Diamondbacks play.
