(ANGOLA) – U.S. 20 across Northern Indiana has received a special designation.

The Indiana Department of Transportation officially named U.S. 20 as the “Medal Of Honor Memorial Highway” across Northern Indiana. A naming ceremony and a sign unveiling was held Friday along the highway in Angola with local, state and federal officials as well as Hoosier veterans' groups participating.

Governor Eric Holcomb says Indiana is a state with a proud history of showing honor and respect to our nation's veterans. Holcomb says naming U.S. 20 as the Medal Of Honor Memorial Highway is a wonderful tribute to the men and women who protect our freedom and our country. He says he's grateful to State Representative Denny Zent and the veterans' organizations that led this effort.

Zent introduced legislation for the renaming of the highway, which was unanimously approved by the Indiana House and Senate during the 2020 session of the General Assembly.

By designating U.S. 20 as the Medal Of Honor Memorial Highway, Indiana joins a national effort to name the highway, which run 3,365 miles from Boston, MA to Newport, OR. Indiana is home to 156 miles of U.S. 20, and is the sixth state to adopt the Medal Of Honor name formally.

INDOT will place eight commemorative signs along U.S. 20's route through Steuben, LaGrange, Elkhart, St. Joseph, LaPorte, Porter and Lake Counties.