State Prepares for Traffic Disruptions During April 8 Eclipse
LITTLE ROCK – Several state agencies are preparing for increased traffic from out-of-state tourists who will drive to Arkansas on Monday, April 8, to view the solar eclipse.
They’re planning for traffic disruptions even in parts of the state that will not experience the full effect of the eclipse.
For example, southeast Arkansas is not in the path of totality but highway officials expect the impact on traffic to be “significant” on Highways 65, 165, 82 and 425 because so many visitors will be headed to Pine Bluff, Little Rock and locations along the path of totality in central Arkansas.
Likewise, in the extreme corner of northwest Arkansas there will be significant impacts on traffic on Highways 412, 59, 62 and the Pig Trail, Highway 23.
Highway 65 from the Missouri border to Conway will have “very high” traffic levels, according to a Transportation Department analysis. So will Interstate 49 from Fayetteville to Alma, and Interstate 40 from Alma to Little Rock.
All the major highways in central, northeast and southwest Arkansas will have at least a “significant” amount of higher traffic volumes.
Along Interstate 40 from Alma to Mulberry there will be “extreme traffic” increases. Also, along Highway 65 from Conway to Greenbriar will see “extreme traffic” increases.
The Transportation Department has an 18-page planning document on its website that includes a highway map. Highways are color-coded to indicate the expected level of disruption.
On roads with even a “significant” impact, which is the lowest level, motorists can expect the volume of traffic to meet or modestly exceed capacity. That’s tolerable unless a wreck or other type of incident occurs, then conditions quickly worsen. Local authorities may get overwhelmed because they will bear the brunt of maintaining traffic flows, because state resources will be prioritized in routes where traffic is very high or extreme.
Along routes with “very high” volumes traffic will be well above exceed capacity for several hours, so any wreck or incident will quickly make conditions much worse. Roads with “extreme” traffic increases will be bottlenecks that may require authorities to detour traffic.
The Transportation Department is working with the Arkansas Truckers Association to encourage 18-wheelers and oversize loads to stay off the highways before, during and after the eclipse. However, staying off the roads will be a voluntary decision and there will be no penalties for truckers who operate during the eclipse.
The Department will encourage contractors to limit lane closings from April 5 through April 9.
Based on data collected during past eclipses, the Department anticipates that 80 percent of visitors will leave immediately after the eclipse passes over. This further strains the smooth flow of traffic.
The eclipse will create a shadow almost 118 miles wide that will enter southwest Arkansas, near DeQueen, at 1:46 p.m. on Monday, April 8. The center of the shadow will leave Arkansas about 2 p.m. in the northeast corner, near Pocahontas.
If you are in the central portion of its path, the eclipse will cause darkness for about four minutes. Remember, it’s not safe to look directly at the sun without special eye protection.
Transportation officials and the police are preparing for as many as 1.5 million out-of-state visitors to drive into Arkansas. In addition, about 500,000 Arkansas residents are expected to drive toward the path of totality from the northwest corner and from southeast Arkansas, which are not in the path of the eclipse.