State Road 46 in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
is an east–west
state highway in the southern half of
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
.
Route description
The western terminus of SR 46 is at
I-70 east of Terre Haute at an interchange before becoming 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 goes directly through the college town of
Bloomington. It multiplexes with
SR 45 on a road known as "The Bypass" just north of
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
* Indiana Univers ...
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
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...
passing by
SR 446 and
Lake Monroe. After making a right turn at
SR 135 in Nashville it proceeds to
Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
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
Dearborn County is one of 92 counties of the U.S. state of Indiana located on the Ohio border near the southeast corner of the state. It was formed in 1803 from a portion of Hamilton County, Ohio. In 2020, the population was 50,679. The county ...
.
History
Until 1936, SR 46's western terminus was at the
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...
–Indiana state line and when
U.S. Route 150 (US 150) was commissioned on that route. The eastern terminus was at the
Ohio
Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
–Indiana border when US 52 was commissioned along this 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.
Until recently "The Bypass" portion in Bloomington had congestion. However, a major construction project completed in Nov. 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.
Major intersections
References
{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
046 46 may refer to:
* 46 (number)
* 46 (album), ''46'' (album), a 1983 album by Kino (band), Kino
* "Forty Six", a song by Karma to Burn from the album ''Appalachian Incantation'', 2010
* One of the years 46 BC, AD 46, 1946, 2046
{{Number disambiguat ...
Transportation in Brown County, Indiana
Transportation in Clay County, Indiana
Transportation in Dearborn County, Indiana
Transportation in Decatur County, Indiana
Transportation in Franklin County, Indiana
Transportation in Bartholomew County, Indiana
Transportation in Monroe County, Indiana
Transportation in Owen County, Indiana
Transportation in Ripley County, Indiana
Transportation in Vigo County, Indiana