Minnesota’s Most Obscure and Forgotten Landmark

Interstate 90 is the longest road in the United States. It stretches from Boston, Massachusetts, in the east to Seattle, Washington, in the west, covering a distance of over 3,000 miles. And right in the middle lies the great state of Minnesota, where a dedication, of sorts, was placed in 1978.

Millions of travelers drive over this landmark each and every year, yet most don't even know it exists.

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Minnesota's Golden Panels

You can find the "Golden Panels" of Interstate 90 just outside of the Southern Minnesota town of Blue Earth.

In 1978, concrete panels near Blue Earth were tinted gold to commemorate the completion of over 3,000 miles of I-90 to be reminiscent of the ‘Golden Spike’ that symbolized completion of the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. However, most of the golden panels were paved over when the interstate needed repaving in 2006.

As part of the current 20-mile pavement project on I-90 from Blue Earth to south of Wells, the golden panels were reinstalled in their original locations across the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-90, just west of Blue Earth.

-Minnesota Department of Transportation Website

You can visit the matching historical markers of the panels yourself, as they are on both sides of Interstate 90 at adjacent rest areas.

Check out this video from the rededication ceremony last year in the YouTube clip below.

Story Sources: MN DOT Website, Roadside America Website