A stretch of a highway in Minnesota will be named in honour of the late Prince, it was decided on Thursday.
Senators in the singer’s home state voted 55-5 in favour of designating seven miles of Highway 5 as the Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway – complete with purple signs.
“Prince was a true genius, a visionary artist who pushed the boundaries of music and cultures in ways that will never be forgotten,” Republican Senator Julia Coleman, who sponsored the bill, said in the legislature. “His influence can be heard in the work of countless musicians who came after him, and his legacy continues to inspire new generations of artists to this day.
"Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway is a meaningful way we can commemorate the great accomplishments of a man known and admired worldwide.”
Minnesota Senate on 55-5 vote approves dedicating a part of Highway 5 in Chanhassen as "Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway" (sign must be in purple obvi).
— Caroline Cummings (@CaroRCummings) May 4, 2023
Now goes to Gov. Tim Walz's desk. #mnleg pic.twitter.com/5AZ9beqJGX
The highway runs past Paisley Park, Prince’s former home and studio, which is now a museum. It is where Prince died on April 21, 2016 of an accidental fentanyl overdose at 57.
Mark Webster, a former security guard at Paisley Park, pitched the highway naming idea three years ago.
Governor Tim Walz is expected to sign the bill into law and the highway will be officially dedicated to Prince this summer.
