I-70 | |||
Get started | Terre Hautea | ||
End | Richmond | ||
Length | 158 mi | ||
Length | 252 km | ||
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Interstate 70 or I -70 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Indiana. The highway forms an east-west route in the central part of the state, passing through the state capital, Indianapolis. The highway is 252 kilometers long.
- SEARCHFORPUBLICSCHOOLS: Provides a list of all public primary and high schools in Indiana, including street address, contact phone, and zip code for each school.
Travel directions
I-70 at Richmond in Eastern Indiana.
Western Indiana
Just west of the town of Terre Haute, Interstate 70 in Illinois crosses the border into Indiana from St. Louis. At the town of Terre Haute one crosses the Wabash River and crosses US 41. The US 40 runs parallel to I-70 for a short distance here, both roads have 2×2 lanes. A 100-kilometer stretch then follows to the Indianapolis region. I-70 leads here through sloping to flat terrain with partly quite a lot of forest. Near Greencastle you cross the US 231. I-70 has 2×2 lanes all the way to the edge of the Indianapolis metropolitan area.
- USPRIVATESCHOOLSFINDER.COM: Provides a list of all private primary and elementary schools in Indiana, including street address, contact phone, and zip code for each school.
Indianapolis
I-70 then traverses the metropolitan area of the state capital Indianapolis. The highway is rapidly widening here, with 2×3 lanes on the edge of the urban area to up to 15 lanes near the airport in the west of the city. It then crosses Interstate 465, which forms the Indianapolis ring road. I-70 then counts 2×3 lanes to downtown Indianapolis. At the center one crosses the White River, after which there is a short double numbering with Interstate 65 along the east side of Downtown Indianapolis. This part has 2×4 lanes. I-70 also has 2×4 lanes until the eastern interchange with I-465, then the highway has 2×3 lanes until just outside Indianapolis.
Eastern Indiana
There is then another 100 kilometer stretch to the Ohio border. Here, US 40 runs mostly south of I-70, also with 2×2 lanes. The highway leads through flat agricultural land with meadows and little afforestation. Also, no larger rivers are crossed here. The highway goes around the town of Richmond, where it crosses US 27, after which the border with Ohio follows. Interstate 70 in Ohio then continues toward Columbus.
History
The predecessor of I-70 was the US 40, which before 1960 already had 2×2 lanes throughout almost the entire state. The first section of I-70 to go under construction was the bypass of the eastern town of Richmond, which opened circa 1961. By 1965, it was already possible to bypass Indianapolis via I-465 along the south side of the city. The next major opening was the Terre Haute bypass, circa 1966/1967. In the late 1960s, construction progressed significantly, opening large portions west and east of Indianapolis, and by 1970, I-70 outside Indianapolis was complete. This made I-70 the second Interstate Highway in Indiana to open all rural routes, after I-74. Indianapolis’ entire urban highway network was built last, along with I-65. This section opened in 1976, completing both I-65 and I-70.
Opening history
from | nasty | length | date |
Exit 145 Centerville | Exit 156 Richmond (US 40) | 17 km | 00-00-1961 |
Exit 137 Cambridge City | Exit 145 Centerville | 13 km | 00-00-1963 |
Exit 123 Spiceland | Exit 137 Cambridge City | 23 km | 00-00-1966 |
Illinois state line | Exit 11 Terre Haute | 19 km | 00-00-1966 |
Exit 156 Richmond (US 40) | Indiana state line | 1 km | 00-00-1966 |
Exit 37 Putnamville | Exit 41 Cloverdale (US 231) | 6 km | 00-00-1968 |
Exit 104 Greenfield | Exit 123 Spiceland | 31 km | 00-00-1968 |
Exit 41 Cloverdale (US 231) | Exit 73 I-465 | 51 km | 00-00-1969 |
Exit 89 Shadeland Avenue, Indianapolis | Exit 104 Greenfield | 24 km | 00-00-1969 |
Exit 11 Terre Haute | Exit 37 Putnamville | 42 km | 00-00-1970 |
Exit 73 I-465 | Exit 77 Holt Road, Indianapolis | 6 km | 00-00-1970 |
Exit 77 Holt Road, Indianapolis | Exit 89 Shadeland Avenue, Indianapolis | 19 km | 00-00-1976 |
Widenings
The 2×3 lane portions of the urban core of Indianapolis were constructed directly like this in 1976.
Due to the construction of a new terminal at Indianapolis Airport, I-70 has been realigned west of I-465 with a parallel structure. This was constructed in the period 2003-2004. The highway here has been drastically widened from 2×3 to 14 lanes (4+3+3+4).
In 2012, a six-mile section of I-70 on the east side of Indianapolis was widened to 2×3 lanes.
Traffic intensities
Some 22,600 vehicles cross the Illinois border every day. Towards Indianapolis, it only ramps up just before the city, with 66,500 vehicles for the beltway. 97,000 vehicles drive south of the center, the double numbering with I-65 is the busiest with 162,900 vehicles per day. There are 127,700 vehicles in the east of the city, and 52,000 after the ring road. Towards Richmond, volumes are around 30,000 vehicles, with 28,400 crossing the Ohio border daily.