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INDOT Asks Motorists to Prepare for August 21 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 NOT look 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.

About Next Level Roads
“In Indiana, the Crossroads of America is more than a motto; it’s our mission.”
– Governor Eric Holcomb

Next Level Roads is Governor Eric J. Holcomb’s initiative to elevate Indiana’s economic competitiveness and quality of life for all Hoosiers through investment in transportation infrastructure. This sustainable, data-driven plan dedicates more than $30 billion over the next 20 years to improving the conditions of existing roads and bridges – both state and local, finishing major projects, and building for the future. Next Level Roads is enhancing Indiana’s position as a leader in freight and logistics and empowering cities, towns and counties to build communities that attract jobs and talent. Learn more about Next Level Roads at in.gov/indot.

About the Indiana Department of Transportation
INDOT empowers businesses to deliver Indiana to the world and bring the world to Indiana by providing a transportation network that is second to none. The agency builds and maintains more than 28,000 lane miles of highway and 5,600 bridges, and provides oversight for 117 public aviation facilities and more than 4,000 miles of active rail lines. Indiana ranked as the #1 state in the U.S. for infrastructure in CNBC’s 2016 “Top States for Business” ranking. Learn more about INDOT at in.gov/indot.

Customer Service
Indiana Department of Transportation
100 N. Senate Ave., IGCN 755
Indianapolis, IN 46204
1-866-849-1368 
indot@indot.in.gov

Media Contact
East Central Indiana - Nathan Riggs, 317-467-3479 or nriggs@indot.in.gov
West Central Indiana - Debbie Calder, 765-361-5236 or dcalder@indot.in.gov
Northeast Indiana - Nichole Hacha-Thomas, 260-969-8219 or nhachathomas@indot.in.gov
Northwest Indiana - Doug Moats, 219-325-7526 or dmoats@indot.in.gov
Southeast Indiana - Harry Maginity, 317-468-3190 or hmaginity@indot.in.gov
Southwest Indiana - Jason Tiller, 812-895-7310 or jtiller@indot.in.gov