State Road 46 in the U.S. state of Indiana is an east–west state highway in the southern half of Indiana.
SR 46 highlighted in red | ||||
Route information | ||||
Maintained by INDOT | ||||
Length | 156.72 mi[1][page needed] (252.22 km) | |||
Existed | October 1, 1926[2]–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | ![]() ![]() | |||
East end | ![]() | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Indiana | |||
Counties | Bartholomew, Brown, Clay, Dearborn, Decatur, Monroe, Owen, Ripley, Vigo | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Route description
editThe western terminus of SR 46 is at US 40 east of Terre Haute. It is a four-lane highway with signalized intersections from US 40 past SR 42 and Terre Haute Regional Airport to I-70, where it meets the SR 641 bypass. After departing 641 a mile south of the Interstate, 46 becomes a heavily traveled modernized 2-lane highway through Spencer where it intersects SR 67 and US 231. It then proceeds to Ellettsville where it becomes a 4-lane expressway until an Interchange with I-69. It then enters the college town of Bloomington. It multiplexes with SR 45 on a road known as "The Bypass" just north of Indiana University where it passes by the athletic complex. It then goes by the College Mall in Bloomington where it makes a left turn and winds towards the artist colony of Nashville passing by SR 446 and Lake Monroe. After making a right turn at SR 135 in Nashville it proceeds to Columbus, where it goes under I-65 at an interchange. It then heads to Greensburg where it multiplexes with SR 3 and again becomes a 4-lane expressway.
At this point it makes a right turn and becomes a minor 2-lane highway as it closely follows I-74 until its eastern terminus at US 52 in northeastern Dearborn County.
History
editUntil 1936, SR 46's western terminus was at the Illinois–Indiana state line north of West Terre Haute. When U.S. Route 150 (US 150) was commissioned on that route, SR 46 was pulled back to end with SR 42 at Poplar and Seventh streets in downtown Terre Haute.[3] Later, when the north-south four-lane road from I-70 to US 40 was completed, the terminus was moved to US 40 east of the city. And, briefly, it was moved south to the SR 46 exit from SR 641 when US 40 was relocated from Wabash Avenue to I-70, before being returned to form a "wrong way" multiplex with the US route, which continues as of 2024.[4]
The former eastern terminus was at the Ohio–Indiana border when US 52 was commissioned along that portion of the route.
In 1974, the portion of the route west of Columbus to the Brown County Line was named Jonathan Moore Pike, after a settler in the area who served in the Revolutionary War as a member of the Commander-in-Chief's Guard.[5]
Until recently, "The Bypass" portion in Bloomington had congestion. However, a major construction project completed in November 2012 widened the road to 4 lanes and alleviated the issue on this part of the roadway. SR 46 as a result of this project is now four lanes from Elletsville until the intersection with SR 446.[6]
Major intersections
editCounty | Location | mi[1][page needed] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vigo | Terre Haute | 0.00 | 0.00 | I-70 / US 40 / SR 641 south – Terre Haute, Indianapolis | Exit 11 on I-70 - Western terminus of SR 46; Northern end of SR 641 and concurrency |
1.50 | 2.41 | SR 641 south | Southern End of SR 641 concurrency | ||
Riley | 3.92 | 6.31 | SR 159 south – Jasonville | Northern terminus of SR 159 | |
Clay | Sugar Ridge Township | 11.83 | 19.04 | SR 59 – Linton, Brazil | |
Owen | Vandalia | 32.01 | 51.52 | SR 246 west – Clay City | Eastern terminus of SR 246 |
Spencer | 37.59 | 60.50 | US 231 south / SR 67 south – Worthington | Western end of US 231 and SR 67 concurrences | |
38.42 | 61.83 | US 231 north / SR 67 north – Greencastle, Mooresville | Eastern end of US 231 and SR 67 concurrences | ||
Washington Township | 40.32 | 64.89 | SR 43 south | Northern terminus of SR 43 | |
Monroe | Bloomington | 52.43 | 84.38 | I-69 / SR 45 south – Evansville, Indianapolis | Western end of SR 45 concurrency |
55.78 | 89.77 | SR 45 north | Eastern end of SR 45 concurrency | ||
57.75 | 92.94 | SR 446 south | Northern terminus of SR 446 | ||
Brown | Nashville | 73.02 | 117.51 | SR 135 north – Nashville | Western end of SR 135 concurrency |
Washington Township | 76.10 | 122.47 | SR 135 south – Brownstown | Eastern end of SR 135 concurrency | |
Bartholomew | Columbus | 89.00 | 143.23 | I-65 – Indianapolis, Louisville | Exit 58 on I-65 |
90.58 | 145.77 | SR 11 south – Seymour | Northern terminus of SR 11; trumpet interchange | ||
Columbus Township | 95.39 | 153.52 | SR 7 south – North Vernon | Northern terminus of SR 7 | |
96.52 | 155.33 | US 31 – Columbus, Seymour | |||
Clifty Township | SR 9 north – Shelbyville | Southern terminus of SR 9 | |||
Decatur | Greensburg | 116.48 | 187.46 | SR 3 south – North Vernon | Western end of SR 3 concurrency |
119.78 | 192.77 | SR 3 north – Rushville | Eastern end of SR 3 concurrency | ||
121.61 | 195.71 | US 421 north – Indianapolis | Western end of US 421 concurrency | ||
122.02 | 196.37 | US 421 south – Madison, Versailles | Eastern end of US 421 concurrency | ||
Ripley | Batesville | 136.52 | 219.71 | SR 229 – Batesville, Oldenburg | |
138.00 | 222.09 | SR 129 south – Versailles | Northern terminus of SR 129 | ||
Adams Township | 143.82 | 231.46 | SR 101 – Sunman | ||
Dearborn | St. Leon | 151.43 | 243.70 | SR 1 – Lawrenceburg, Brookville | |
Harrison Township | 156.72 | 252.22 | US 52 to I-74 - Cincinnati | Eastern terminus of SR 46 | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
edit- ^ a b "INDOT Roadway Referencing System" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-15.
- ^ "Road Numbers to Be Changed". The Hancock-Democrat. The Indianapolis News. September 30, 1926. Retrieved June 9, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Illinois Secretary of State; Rand McNally (1936). Road Map Illinois (Map). [c. 1:950,000 and c. 1:1,110,000]. Springfield: Illinois Secretary of State. Retrieved October 12, 2020 – via Illinois Digital Archives.
- ^ Tribune-Star, Arthur FoulkesThe (2011-09-07). "Recent change in road designation causes confusion on Terre Haute's east side". Terre Haute Tribune-Star. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ "Road 46 West of Columbus Renamed by City Council Monday night". The Republic (Columbus, Indiana). 1974-06-24.
- ^ staff. "45/46 Bypass Construction Updates". Retrieved August 6, 2011.