Mineta, California State Assembly Speaker Pro-Tempore Sally Lieber, D-Mountain View, California Transportation Commissioner Carl Guardino, Caltrans Director Will Kempton and officials from 15 neighboring cities are expected to attend the ceremony, according to Caltrans. The highway runs from Mountain View through Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos and southwest San Jose.
The highway is being named after Mineta due to his extensive knowledge in transportation and dedication to helping the Silicon Valley throughout his years in local and national politics, according to Caltrans. He served on the San Jose City Council in the 1960s and 1970s, becoming mayor, and was a U.S. representative for 20 years.
Mineta served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation between January 2001 and July 2006 and is the longest serving secretary of transportation in U.S. history, according to the White House Web site. He oversaw the U.S. Coast Guard response to the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and achieved the lowest vehicle fatality rate ever recorded in the U.S. during his first four years as secretary.
The international airport in San Jose is also named after Mineta.
The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. in the rotunda of Mountain View City Hall.
