VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — For the first time in the city’s history, part of the interstate highway system was named in honor of a fallen firefighter.
On Wednesday, July 2, two large signs were unveiled bearing the name of late Virginia Beach Fire Capt. Matt “Chevy” Chiaverotti.
Virginia Department of Transportation crews installed the new road signs along the Interstate 264 bridge over South Rosemont Road on Wednesday, July 9.
Forevermore, that overpass will be known as the “Virginia Beach Fire Department Captain Matthew ‘Chevy’ Chiaverotti Memorial Bridge.”
Chiaverotti was a 20-year decorated and beloved veteran of the Virginia Beach Fire Department. He died in April 2023 at age 44, following a battle with anaplastic thyroid cancer. He became the first firefighter in the city, and among the first in Virginia, to be recognized for dying in the line of duty due to occupational cancer.
The bridge designation was permitted through House Bill 1793, which was introduced by Del. Michael Feggans (D-Virginia Beach) during the 2025 General Assembly Session. In January, the Virginia Beach City Council unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the bridge renaming and committed to funding the signage.
In a ceremony at Chiaverotti’s station, Station 7, Feggans explained why he chose to submit the bill to name the bridge after Chiaverotti.
“My father, Capt. Michael Feggans … served in Norfolk International Airport, I grew up in the firehouse in Norfolk … when I heard about Captain Chevy’s story, it reminded me of what it means to to have that family …. Please know that this sign is a symbol of the enduring respect and reminder to every Virginian, to every visitor who crosses it, that courage lives in Virginia Beach and sometimes, if we’re lucky, it wears a fire hat.”
Sara Chiaverotti, Capt. Chiaverotti’s widow, said she sees the Rosemont Road overpass each day on her commute to teach at a Virginia Beach City Public Schools elementary school.
“I said, ‘A bridge?’ It was quite a surprise.” Chiaverotti, said upon learning about the honor.
She said her husband, who served in the department 20 years, wouldn’t want the sign, as he was a “no fuss kind of guy.”
However, she said if it has to be there, she hopes it’s impactful.
“I hope they wonder about that and may learn more about him because he was a phenomenal human being who loved his community and absolutely loved firefighting,” Chiaverotti said. “How important it is to take care of yourself as a firefighter and how important it is to go ahead and have those screenings done and take care of your mental health and your physical health.”
Chiaverotti is one of two firefighters to die of occupational cancer in Virginia Beach in a two-year span. Last year, Virginia Beach City Council agreed to fund increased cancer screenings.
Numerous studies show that firefighters’ exposure on the job, in which smoke and hazardous chemicals are released from burning materials, may increase the risk of certain types of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.