BOSTON - The Brookline Avenue Bridge, which spans the Massachusetts Turnpike, would be renamed the "David Ortiz ("Big Papi") Bridge" through a bill moving quickly inside the State House.



The bill has the support of Gov. Charlie Baker and legislative leaders, Senate President Stan Rosenberg of Amherst and House Speaker Robert DeLeo of Winthrop. The bridge is located between Landsdowne Street and Newbury Street, a short walk from Fenway Park.



Baker said in a statement the renaming of the bridge is way to create a "lasting" note of thanks to Ortiz.



"David Ortiz's accomplishments and heroics on and off the baseball field have made him a living legend, and his heartfelt contributions to the communities here and in his native Dominican Republic have made him an icon," Baker said.



Beacon Hill leaders described the legislation in a release issued Thursday morning:

Members of the state House Ways and Means Committee are voting on the measure, included as part of a supplemental budget, and the House is expected to take it up on Friday. The measure than would head to the state Senate, and after several procedural votes, land on Gov. Baker's desk.