In Monday’s predawn hours, traffic on Interstate 15 already approached levels usually not seen until the height of the morning commute as drivers headed north for a prime view of the solar eclipse.
The best view, of course, was some 220 miles north of Salt Lake City where the rare, cosmic event’s path of totality was to track through southeastern Utah in the Twin Falls to Idaho Falls areas. There, for 2 minutes 40 seconds, the moon will completely obscure the sun before continuing on to points east.
The U.S. landfall for eclipse’s totality path was set for 11:16 a.m. MDT in Newport, Ore., and from there the shadow was mapped to head through central and southeastern Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia before exiting the continent at Charleston, S.C., at 12:48 p.m. MDT.
Utahns unable to make it to a patch of totality still could don their NASA-approved protective eye shades to view solar blockage of roughly 90 percent by 11:33 a.m. MDT.
The Utah Department of Transportation already had braced for an estimated 50,000 additional vehicles on the interstate freeways over the weekend leading into Eclipse Day. That traffic flow increase, above the usual 200,000 vehicles that traverse Interstate 15 on a normal weekend, was expected to continue through much of Monday as eclipseophiles first head north to see the event, and then drive back afterward.
Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Jacob Cox noted that while the morning commute was heavy, there had not been an corresponding increase in crashes reported. By late morning, the flow had eased to more normal levels. Still, troopers were on alert for congestion expected in the afternoon and evening hours as eclipse viewers head south on their way home.
As expected, traffic slowed to a crawl — 10 to 15 mph in places — as of 7:15 a.m. on I-15 in Box Elder County, approaching the I-84 exit toward Twin Falls to the northwest, as well as the congested stretch straight north toward Idaho Falls.
Indeed, UDOT spokesman John Gleason said the heaviest delays on I-15 and other interstates in Utah were expected Monday evening. He advised resident drivers rethink their travel plans to avoid southbound lanes in particular, which were expected to be clogged with sun-watchers heading home.
To accommodate the congestion, UDOT suspended work on numerous construction projects on I-15, reopening all lanes Monday, or shifting traffic temporarily to increase capacity.
Gleason had several suggestions for those chasing the eclipse:
— Don’t leave without a full tank of gas. Trying to get off freeways to fill up at rural gas stations, likely already inundated due to heavy demand, will be a challenge.
— Bring along extra food, water and snackes.
— Expect spotty cellular phone coverage.
— Do not stop in traffic or park on freeway shoulders to watch the eclipse.
— Plan on your post-eclipse trip home to take extra time. Indeed, you might just wait a few hours or long before heading back.
— Stay up-to-date on traffic conditions by visiting UDOT’s website at udottraffic.utah.gov