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.
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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.
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.
