Indiana lawmakers and Gov. Braun just increased the speed limit on I-465
The ten mile-per-hour increase was part of a large road funding bill that Gov. Mike Braun signed into law the evening of May 1.
The increase did not appear in the original legislation and did not prompt much discussion during the legislative session. House Bill 1461, now House Enrolled Act 1461, dealt more prominently with other road subjects, like tolling and the Community Crossings grant program.
The Senate added language about I-465 while the bill was working its way through that chamber, and the bill author, Republican Rep. Jim Pressel of Rolling Prairie, agreed with the changes.
Many Hoosiers have long felt the 55 miles-per-hour speed limit was too low. A few years ago, the Indiana Department of Transportation measured drivers' speeds at a northwest section of the interstate for 13 days and found that 96% were going over the speed limit.
When Pressel presented the final version of the bill on the House floor on April 17, he acknowledged that reality and elicited some chuckles from his colleagues.
"This is really not anything to do with road funding, but I like it," he said. "For those of us who struggle driving 55 miles an hour on 465, it increases the speed limit to 65. There you go."
Drivers should remain vigilant about lower speed limits in work zones, such as in the I-465/I-69 construction zone on the northeast side.
Beginning May 5, there will be penalties for exceeding 11 miles per hour over the posted speed limit in those work zones. That came from another Indiana bill, passed in 2023, that enabled INDOT to pilot speed camera programs in work zones.
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