Prince to have Minnesota highway named after him

Late music icon Prince will have a stretch of highway named after him in his home state of Minnesota.

Minnesota senators voted on Thursday to rename a seven-mile stretch of the Minnesota State Highway 5 to Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway after the late Purple Rain singer.

The section runs past Prince’s former Paisley Park home and studio and through the Minneapolis suburbs of Chanhassen and Eden Prairie.

After the Senate voted in favour of the proposal, the bill was passed onto Governor Tim Walz, who is expected to sign it.

Senator Julia Coleman, the bill’s lead sponsor, told her fellow politicians, “Prince was a true genius, a visionary artist who pushed the boundaries of music and cultures in ways that will never be forgotten. 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.”

The bill also proposed that the signs marking the highway be painted purple.

According to Coleman, the singer’s friends and fans are footing the costs of the name change.

Prince Rogers Nelson passed away in April 2016 at the age of 57. His Paisley Park complex in Chanhassen is now a museum, event space and recording studio run by his estate.