This series documents roadside memorials on Virginia Route 20, named the “Constitution Route,” a rural two-lane highway that stretches 90 miles through the central part of Virginia. These memorials are markers to commemorate those lost in fatal car accidents. Some claim that the memorials violate the separation of church and state, since most include a cross or other religious symbol. Others see the roadside memorials as dangers to the public.This is because many of them are elaborate, placed in the median along highways or just off the shoulder, and can pose as a distraction to motorists.! State laws concerning roadside memorials vary. In some they are illegal, in others a family must go through several requirements in order to erect a memorial. Despite the laws or political debates that surrounding them, families and friends in mourning will continue to commemorate their loved ones through roadside memorials. Attempts to take the memorials down usually result in them being replaced.
