Indiana marks America’s 250th year with commemorative highway signs

Indiana motorists will soon see new reminders of America’s 250th birthday along two of the state’s busiest highways.

Gov. Mike Braun unveiled one of the commemorative Freedom 250 signs Friday at an Interstate 70 rest area near Plainfield. The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to install 20 signs along I-70 and U.S. 30 over the next week.

The signs were created in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the White House Freedom 250 initiative. They will remain in place through the end of 2027, according to the governor’s office.

“For generations, Indiana’s highways have served as a central hub connecting Americans to family, communities, businesses and opportunities across our nation,” Braun said in a statement. “As we celebrate 250 years of American freedom, these signs are a fitting tribute to Indiana’s proud legacy as the Crossroads of America.”

Indiana going all out to celebrate America’s 250th birthday

The markers also recognize the 70th anniversary of the Eisenhower Interstate System and 100 years of the Lincoln Highway. U.S. 30 follows the route of the Lincoln Highway, the country’s first transcontinental road.

Similar signs and flags are appearing in other states through the federal “Freedom Moves You” campaign, part of the White House’s broader celebration of 250 years since adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Indiana Secretary of Transportation and Infrastructure Matt Ubelhor called the project a “unique opportunity” for the state.

“I-70 and U.S. 30 are main thoroughfares traveled by thousands of Indiana residents and visitors each day,” Ubelhor said at Friday’s unveiling. “Both are significant in the history of transportation.”

Braun said Indiana’s location makes the state a fitting participant in the national campaign.

“You can reach more commerce in two days of ground transportation from our great state than any other place in the country,” he said. “We are the center of the world’s economy.”

Hundreds of other events and programs have been organized across Indiana for the semiquincentennial. A bipartisan state commission has coordinated the celebrations intended to highlight Indiana’s role in U.S. history.