The rare, total solar eclipse that’s about to appear on Monday, August 21 is creating quite a spectacle ahead of the big event… Thanks in part to the Oregon Eclipse festival, held on the 17th-23rd, and featuring some of the world’s best DJs and electronic artists, traffic has gone from bad to worse.
People are driving from all over the country to encounter the full-on solar eclipse — as opposed to the partial eclipse that will be visible to those who aren’t within the 70 mile-wide stretch running from Lincoln Beach, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina in the United States.
In a “Know Before You Go” initiative, Oregon State Police are warning drivers that traffic is already backed up, days ahead of the event. Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) spokesperson Dave Thompson told TIME, a traffic backup this bad could have never been expected.
“That’s exactly how this sort of thing will work leading up to the eclipse. All of a sudden there will be a backup, and all of sudden it’ll be gone,” he said.
If you are traveling this weekend, and will potentially cross the path of “eclipse traffic,” it’s essential to plan ahead. Make sure you map your route and download an app like Waze to get you to your destination this weekend.
#Oreclipse Traffic
#Oreclipse traffic backed up for 15 miles on HWY 26, all the way to Prineville now. Photos from our fish and wildlife plane. pic.twitter.com/FYOoNOOgXX
— Oregon State Police (@ORStatePolice) August 17, 2017
HWY 26 east of Prineville is at a standstill from #OReclipse travelers. 8 mile backup. #knowbeforeyougo pic.twitter.com/T1BWT23mQS
— Oregon State Police (@ORStatePolice) August 17, 2017
Source: TIME
