Interstate 65 in Northwest Indiana experienced significant delays as eclipse watchers who traveled sought for the spectacle made their trek home. NBC Chicago’s Evrod Cassimy reports.
Significant traffic delays occurred on Interstate 65 Monday evening as throngs of drivers headed toward the Chicago area after traveling to experience the 2024 solar eclipse in totality.
At around 8:15 p.m., delays exceeding two hours were reported near State Road 18 in the Brookston area, as shown on Google Maps. Images from Indiana Department of Transportation traffic cameras showed solid back-ups near State Route 18 and State Route 25.
Backups were largely reported between Lafayette and Rensselaer, with a few slow spots also further south between Lafayette and Lebanon.
Elsewhere on I-65, traffic was moving steadily.
In a post on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield said traffic was flowing at normal rates as of 7 p.m. in the Lowell area.
"Drivers are reducing speeds (which we love and appreciate!) and although traffic is steady, so far so good on I-65 from Lafayette north to Merrillville," he added. "There are some slow spots as you head north from the Kankakee…"
With the exception of I-65 northbound in the Lafayette area, traffic was clearing across most of the state, INDOT said in a post at 7:39 p.m.
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INDOT urged drivers to check its website or the INDOT TrafficWise app for travel conditions.
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Monday's solar eclipse, considered a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event, passed through parts of central Indiana and southern Illinois as it moved across North America.
