The House Transportation Committee on Thursday passed a bill designating a portion of State Highway 5 in Chanhassen as “Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway.”

The bill specifies that signs indicating the designation will be purple in honor of the late artist’s signature color.

Efforts to commemorate Prince and his legacy along this section of highway have been years in the making. It was in August, 2020, when Chanhassen resident Bob Finn, along with Mark Webster, a long-time friend of Prince, first brought the idea to the Chanhassen City Council. That November the council passed a resolution in support of Finn and Webster’s efforts.

Rep. Lucy Rehm, DFL-Chanhassen, the author of the bill, was joined by Finn and Webster, as well as Transportation Committee members and chair, Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL-Minneapolis, to discuss the bill.

“Prince brought people together not only through his music, but through his advocacy of public library access, education, civil rights, and more,” Rehm said.

Having passed through the Transportation Committee, the legislation advanced to the House Way and Means Committee. If passed through, the bill will move to a full House floor vote.

Last month, the companion bill, authored by Sen. Julia Coleman, R-Waconia, passed through the Senate Transportation Committee and moved on to the Senate floor.