Aretha Franklin gets memorial highway naming along The Lodge

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Another tribute to the Queen of Soul happened Monday in Detroit. 

A portion of The Lodge Freeway is being re-designated as the Aretha Franklin Memorial Highway. The stretch of road is along M-10 between Livernois and I-94. 

Aretha Franklin not only gave us hits like 'Freeway of Love,' but she also donated her talent in 1988 for an anti-drinking and driving PSA campaign, as well as to other social justice and civic causes.

Rep. Leslie Love (D-Detroit) introduced the bill, and says four African American sororities are raising money for the memorial highway sign. 

"It's very difficult to get memorial highway namings, by the way, particularly if you're not a veteran or first responder," Love told us. "So Ms. Franklin is the first artist-activist to receive this honor, and only the third African American woman. Sojourner Truth and Rosa Parks have a memorial highway, so she joins those luminaries in having this very distinct honor from the State of Michigan."

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer held a ceremonial signing for the bill Monday. 

In another fitting tribute to the artist, Chene Park was officially renamed Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre earlier this year. 

Franklin died Aug. 16, 2018 at 76 after a years' long battle with pancreatic cancer.