Early crash data from the Indiana Department of Transportation say the rebuilt North Split is doing something drivers might actually cheer: cutting wrecks at several of downtown Indianapolis' worst choke points by about 29%. The huge rework of the I-65/I-70 North Split, completed in May 2023, rebuilt ramps and dozens of bridges to tame risky weaves and abrupt lane drops.
INDOT's Early Findings
In what INDOT calls an "intermediate review," the agency reports a 29% drop in crashes across four long-problematic segments: the Delaware and Pennsylvania ramp weave sections, the I-65/I-70 merge and lane-drop area, and the I-70 curve and merge, according to WRTV. Those stretches had been magnets for rear-end and side-swipe collisions, and INDOT says the redesigned geometry is aimed squarely at those conflict points. Officials are quick to label the numbers preliminary and note that the review focuses on specific hot spots rather than the entire interchange.
Project Size, Timeline and Cost
According to the Indiana Department of Transportation's 2023 financial plan, the North Split reached substantial completion in late May 2023, with construction (CN) costs listed at about $366.82 million and an overall project estimate near $468.83 million. The rebuild replaced more than 50 bridges and reconstructed pavement to improve sight lines and lengthen merge areas. INDOT documents put daily traffic at roughly 214,000 vehicles through the interchange, a volume that helps explain why the state backed such a large, disruptive investment.
How Bad It Was
Before the reconstruction, the corridor had a reputation that preceded it. Industry reporting cited more than 1,600 recorded crashes in the project area between 2012 and 2016, and designers pointed to short weaves and sudden lane drops as key culprits, according to Roads & Bridges. That history heavily influenced design priorities and the decision to bite the bullet on a large-scale rebuild. During construction, local streets absorbed heavier detour traffic, a side effect INDOT says it watched closely.
What Drivers Are Saying
Everyday drivers tell reporters they still run into 15 to 20 minute backups and plenty of bumper-to-bumper traffic, even if some commuters say the rebuilt corridor feels at least somewhat safer than the old setup. INDOT has told local outlets it plans to take another hard look at the North Split after nearby I-65 work is finished and other downtown upgrades are in place, with staff noting that full post-construction performance reviews typically come three to five years after contracts end, per reporting by WRTV. For now, officials and drivers alike see the safety gains as promising, but not the final verdict on congestion.
The intermediate findings give INDOT an early scoreboard showing that targeted danger zones are seeing fewer crashes, but engineers say it will take more time and follow-up studies, after surrounding projects wrap up, to judge system-wide congestion and travel times.
