A stretch of road in Chicago has been named after late former South African President Nelson Mandela.
Gov. Pat Quinn attended the dedication Friday, which would have been Mandela's 96th birthday. Cicero Avenue from Roosevelt Road to Grand Avenue on Chicago's West Side will be designated "Mandela Road" in honor the civil right leader.
Mandela died in December at age 95. He was elected South Africa's first black president after spending 27 years in prison.
The Illinois General Assembly officially designated the roadway to honor Mandela. The Illinois Department of Transportation will put up signs at a series of intersections.
The governor says those traveling on the road will be "reminded of Mandela's lifelong journey that continues to have a profound effect on the world we live in today."
