INDIANAPOLIS — The city’s long traffic headache has ended with the reopening of the Interstate 65 split in downtown Indy.
The Indiana Department of Transportation announced late last week that all northbound and southbound lanes of I-65 at the North Split will begin reopening over the weekend and would be open by the Monday morning commute.
The northbound lanes of I-65 reopened around 2 a.m. Saturday, and the southbound lanes reopened in time for the Monday rush hour.
Drivers appeared to be getting used to the new configurations, with some vehicles darting into lanes in order to make their exits. When traveling northbound, drivers need to stay in the right-hand lanes in order to stay on I-65. When traveling south, drivers need to be in the left lanes to continue south on I-65.
Eastbound and westbound I-70 were already open to traffic before the weekend.
The reopening is also expected to ease congestion on I-465 as interstate travel and local drivers become reacquainted with their routes through downtown.
Construction on the North Split began in the winter of 2020 and has caused traffic headaches throughout Indianapolis as through traffic was rerouted around the I-465 circle due to I-65 being closed through downtown.
INDOT reminds drivers that under the new configuration there will no longer be access to I-65 southbound via the Delaware/11th Street ramp. Access to the Meridian/Pennsylvania Street exit will also only be available through I-65 northbound.
