The Indiana Department of Transportation reminds Hoosiers to travel safely and plan more driving time during the busy Thanksgiving travel holiday. AAA projects 50.9 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving from Nov. 22 through Nov. 26, a 3.3 percent increase over last year. Hoosier Helpers sponsored by State Farm will patrol urban interstates in Indianapolis, Northwest Indiana and Southern Indiana near Louisville during heavy travel periods this holiday.
Most highway maintenance activities and construction projects will halt work this holiday weekend to increase roadway mobility and safety. INDOT directs its contractors to pull back barriers and barricades to the safest extent possible to accommodate the anticipated increase in traffic. Some restrictions will remain in place due to ongoing road construction, including:
Northern Indiana
- Interstate 469 is restricted to one lane in each direction between mile markers 11 and 17 in Allen County.
- Lane closures will remain in effect on westbound I-80/94 between mile markers 3 and 12 as work continues on the Restore 94 project in Lake County.
- The entrance ramp to I-94 at State Road 51 (Exit 15B) will remain closed for the next three weeks.
- Both directions of I-94 are reduced to two lanes between mile marker 16 and U.S. 20 in Porter County.
- The left lane of I-94 in both directions will be closed between mile markers 26 and 27 until noon on Wednesday, Nov. 22.
Central Indiana
- The I-465 East and I-465 West ramps to I-65 North remain closed for the duration of construction at the interchange on the south side of Indianapolis. A signed detour directs traffic south on I-65 to Southport Road (Exit 103) to return northbound on I-65. I-65 and I-465 lane closures will resume Monday, Nov. 27. Both interstates may be reduced to one lane between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Weather permitting, construction is expected to be substantially complete, with all lanes and ramps open to traffic by the end of November.
- I-69 lane closures for paving on the added travel lane construction project between State Road 37 (Exit 205) and State Road 38 (Exit 219) will resume Monday, Nov. 27. I-69 may be reduced to one lane each weeknight between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. and weekends from 7 p.m. until 9 a.m. The additional lanes are expected to open in December.
- Watch for lane shifts on I-65 in both directions as construction of added travel lanes continues in Tippecanoe County.
Southern Indiana
- Northbound I-65 traffic is sharing the southbound side between mile markers 8 and 11 in Clark County. Two lanes are open in each direction.
- Entrance and exit ramps are closed on westbound I-74 at SR 101 (Exit 156) in Ripley County. To reach SR 101, westbound traffic on I-74 should use the SR 1 exit and follow eastbound I-74 to return to SR 101.
- Intermittent lane closures will remain in effect on the U.S. 41 Twin Bridges over the Ohio River near Evansville.
Know before you go
Learn about traffic and road conditions, crashes and construction on state highways by visiting indot.carsprogram.org, calling 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or dialing 511 from a mobile phone.
Increased enforcement
Starting later this week, Indiana State Police (ISP) will join more than 230 local law-enforcement agencies across the state to spot violations to Indiana’s seat belt and impaired driving laws. Through the weekend after Thanksgiving, expect to see an increase in random patrols, saturation patrols and checkpoints. This overtime enforcement is supported with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) funds administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI).
It’s the law
In every state, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. In Indiana, drivers under 21 with a BAC of .02 or higher are subject to fines and a license suspension for up to one year.
Indiana has a primary seat-belt law, meaning that police officers may ticket unrestrained drivers or passengers, even if no other traffic violation has taken place. In addition, all passengers under age eight must be in an approved car seat or booster seat.
For more information about impaired driving visit on.IN.gov/drivesober and for more information about seat belts visit on.IN.gov/buckleup.