MORRISTOWN, Tenn. (WATE) — There’s a new road in Morristown, Evelyn Johnson Way. According to the city, the road is “momentous, both for its location as well as its namesake.”

The road is named for aviation pioneer, Evelyn Johnson. Johnson, who was nicknamed ‘Mama Bird’ accrued 57,535 flying hours before her death on May 10, 2012, at 102 years old.
In fact, she holds the Guinness world record for the most hours logged by a female pilot. She also played a critical role at Morristown Regional Airport. According to the city, she served as both a flight instructor and manager of the airport. Throughout her career, the city said she trained more pilots than any other pilot.

The road’s close proximity to the airport and Morristown Landing, the City’s new Recreation & Event Center, led the city to choose the name Evelyn Johnson Way to pay tribute to Johnson and the rich aviation history in the Morristown community.

“We’re very pleased to be able to connect the legacy of Evelyn Johnson to our new community center, The Landing, a name selected due to its proximity to our Municipal Airport where ‘Mama Bird’ Johnson made such an impact,” Morristown Mayor Gary Chesney said.

The two-lane road is three-tenths of a mile in length and connects from Veterans Parkway to Durham Landing. A release from the city explains that the new roadway will provide access to the City’s Public Works Complex and Morristown Landing at Durham Landing. The road is also supposed to limit the number of dedicated driveways for developments along Merchants Greene.

The road was officially dedicated on June 9. At the dedication were members of the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of female pilots that promotes the advancement of aviation.