NCDOT To Dedicate I-95 Bridge To Dr. James W. Batten

MICRO, N.C. — A bridge in Johnston County will soon bear the name of a longtime educator and Navy veteran, as state and local officials prepare to honor the legacy of Dr. James W. Batten.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is scheduled to dedicate the Main Street bridge over Interstate 95 at Exit 102 during a ceremony at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 18 at Micro Elementary School.

The bridge will be officially named the Dr. James W. Batten Bridge following a request from town of Micro and Johnston County officials. The North Carolina Board of Transportation approved the naming resolution in November.

Batten, who died in 2004, served as principal of Micro High School in the 1950s before going on to a distinguished career in higher education. He later became a professor and assistant dean at the College of Education at East Carolina University, where he earned a doctorate in education.

In addition to his work in public schools and higher education, Batten also served as a presenter at the Morehead Planetarium at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he helped train NASA astronauts.

A Goldsboro native, Batten was also a retired lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy and remained a member of the Naval Reserve until 1966.

The dedication ceremony will include remarks from local officials, as well as attendance from Batten’s family members, former students and community members whose lives he influenced.