Highway Safety Menu

Eclipse Travel Tips

The solar eclipse happening Monday, August 21st, is expected to draw thousands of people, especially into parts of Idaho and Wyoming, which are in the path of totality.

If you’re planning to hit the road to see the sun blocked by the moon, we wanted to share some info and travel tips provided by our friends at UDOT.

Keep a full tank of gas. Traffic may make it difficult to access gas stations, and in rural areas fuel may be in short supply due to heavy demand.

If traffic is heavy, you could burn more fuel than you plan. You don’t want to be stuck miles away from the nearest gas station. Consider carrying extra fuel with you.

Bring extra food, water and snacks.

Grocery stores in Idaho Falls were experiencing shortages and long lines a full week before the eclipse.

Bananas were sold out at Winco Monday night. | Ronda Hobbs, EastIdahoNews.com.

Bananas were sold out at Winco Monday night. | Ronda Hobbs, EastIdahoNews.com.

Expect spotty or nonexistent cellular coverage.

There will be a huge number of people concentrated in certain areas.

Do not stop on roads or park on shoulders to watch the eclipse. Stopping on highways – even on the shoulder – is unsafe, and can make it difficult for emergency vehicles to respond to incidents.

The road shoulder is a dangerous place (watch this video) – do not stop there to watch the eclipse.

Plan to spend extra time before returning home. While traffic engineers expect travel to Idaho and Wyoming – areas within the eclipse’s path of totality – will be spread out over a few days prior to Monday, the biggest surge in traffic is planned for Monday afternoon and evening. Choosing to stay a few hours, or even a day later, can help reduce delays and create a more enjoyable trip.

UDOT anticipates the heaviest delays on Monday evening when return traffic from the eclipse coincides with the southbound commute. They’re recommending that drivers rethink their trips and avoid traveling on southbound I-15 during this time if possible.

Enjoy the eclipse safely!

If you found this news entry interesting, please consider sharing it through your social network.