Celia Cruz is now on a New Jersey highway

August 4, 2021

The Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, is remembered throughout the world. Now she is making news because a service area on a highway in the state of New Jersey will receive her name.

The area, which will bear the name of the iconic Cuban singer, is located in Forked River, in Ocean County, New Jersey. People will be able to see the name of Celia Cruz in the rest area of the highway.

Governor Phil Murphy announced that the state will pay tribute to nine personalities. The names of these figures will be placed in service areas of the highways.

Alongside the Cuban star are singers Frank Sinatra and Whitney Houston. The list continues with the Negro Leagues and Major Leagues baseball player Larry Doby, and presenter and journalist Connie Chung.

They are joined by rocker Jon Bon Jovi and the actor who starred in the series The Sopranos, Joseph Gandolfini. The list is closed by writers Judy Blume and Toni Morrison.

To approve the project, the board of directors of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority voted unanimously. The selected stars were born or chose the state to settle in.

Celia Cruz is an illustrious personality in the American state. She lived her last years there, in Fort Lee County, where she died in 2003.

This project, Murphy states in a statement, "aims to put the greatness of New Jersey on full display".

This tribute in New Jersey is added to recent tributes that the star has received, including the street in The Bronx named after her.