Traffic jam likely to eclipse all jams
HOPKINSVILLE, KY.» For months, state highway officials from 14 states have been meeting regularly via conference call to plan for — or more importantly try to head off — what could be the largest traffic jam in U.S. history Monday, when an estimated 200 million people will be within a day’s drive of the path of the first total solar eclipse in 99 years.
The roughly 70-mile-wide path of totality — where the moon will block 100 percent of the sun — stretches from Oregon to South Carolina.
In Oregon, where the totality begins at 10:16 a.m. at Depoe Bay, officials have ordered extra-wideload trucks off the highways through Tuesday to ease congestion, and in Madras, which has been identified by many experts as one of prime viewing locations, the National Guard is being called in to help control traffic. The event ends 92 minutes later outside McClellanville, S.C., where the state is bracing for more than 1 million visitors.
“Basically we’d all be on the phone and we’d go west to east around the group in the conversation and compare notes and bring up concerns, and then a light bulb would go off in someone’s head. And we basically kept doing that until we felt we were completely prepared,” said Matt Hiebert, assistant director of communications at the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Hiebert, who chaired the task force of state highway officials, said they agreed on a common message and communication strategy to educate the public. One of the biggest concerns: motorists stopping on the interstate or shoulder to view the eclipse, which in addition to being a safety hazard would cause massive gridlock.
The Federal Highway Administration has asked states to suspend all road construction Monday to ease the flow of traffic.
The agency is also is changing interstate dynamic message boards nationwide: A total solar eclipse is coming. The sky will get dark. The sun will appear to go away in the middle of the day. Do not slam on your breaks. Do not be afraid.
“We don’t really know exactly how many might be out there driving around . . . but we know that there will likely be several million,” said Martin Knopp, associate administrator for operations at highway agency.
In most states, it’s an “all hands on deck” situation for highway workers and law enforcement and they will be out in force to both keep traffic moving and help motorists who might need assistance.
The eclipse is not expected to impact air or rail travel, in fact officials are encouraging any travel that takes people off the roads.
On Monday, Hiebert and his counterparts will activate their respective emergency operations centers -- similar to what they do during snowstorms or floods. They’ll monitor road conditions, traffic flow, work with the media to get out updates and alerts, and stay in close touch with each other.
They’ll watch to see what happens in Oregon, the first state, for example, then make any adjustments to their own plans based on that if needed. The same will happen in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and so on.
“We’re ready,” he said.