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INDOT Asks Motorists
to Prepare for Solar Eclipse
Plan ahead for best viewing and avoid traffic congestion
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Department of Transportation officials urge
motorists to plan for traffic congestion expected to occur in southern
Indiana before and after the total solar eclipse on August 21.
Approximately 200 million people live within a day’s drive of the total
eclipse path. Many will be on the road to get a closer view.
INDOT officials offer the following advice:
Be prepared for traffic congestion before and after the August 21
eclipse.
Interstate 69, U.S. 41, and U.S. 231 are expected to experience
increased traffic in southbound lanes before the event as caravans of
motorists head for Western Kentucky where the moon’s full eclipse of
the sun can be viewed within a 70-mile-wide swath encompassing
Hopkinsville, Paducah, and Madison, KY. After the event, transportation
planners anticipate a “mass exodus” from total eclipse regions.
Expect heavier than normal northbound traffic on these routes.
Interstate 65 will also see increased traffic going to—and returning
from—total eclipse vantage points that begin at Bowling Green, KY and
extend beyond Nashville, TN. Again, southbound traffic is
expected to rise before the solar eclipse. Northbound lanes will
experience congestion after the eclipse.
If you want to drive toward the eclipse path for better viewing, allow
extra time.
If skies are clear, August 21’s solar eclipse promises to be an
unforgettable celestial phenomenon, the first that has been visible to
all 48 contiguous states in several hundred years. Beyond the
total eclipse’s 70-mile-wide path—which arcs across 14 states from
Oregon to South Carolina—a partial eclipse will provide a sky show that
becomes more and more pronounced the closer spectators get to the sun’s
full black-out. The partial eclipse can be well seen throughout
Indiana, but traveling south improves the view. For example, Evansville
is situated to experience a partial eclipse of 99 percent and
Jeffersonville will see 96 percent. This mid-day event waxes and wanes
over a period of several hours.
Make plans now for overnight accommodations—overnight camping is
prohibited at rest areas.
If planning to view the eclipse, wear safety glasses. They are
available on-line or from many popular retailers costing from $2 to
$70; some are being given away by organizations. DO NOTlook at
the partial eclipse without proper filtration.
Visit the NASA website at http://eclipse2017.nasa.gov.
Do’s & Don'ts:
Don’t take pictures while driving.
Don’t wear eclipse glasses while driving.
Don’t stop along the interstate or park on the shoulder.
Do turn your headlights on during the eclipse event.
Plan Ahead and Stay Informed
Motorists can learn about highway work zones and other traffic alerts
at indot.carsprogram.org, 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile
phone.
Subscribe to receive text and email alerts about INDOT projects at
https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/INDOT/subscriber/new. Find
links to INDOT’s Facebook and Twitter pages at
www.in.gov/indot/3074.htm.
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