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Traffic Tips For Monday's Eclipse - Leave Early & Expect To Stay Late

Michael Zeiler / GreatAmericanEclipse.com

Unless you're walking to your spot to watch Monday's total solar eclipse in Western North Carolina, you will be sitting in some kind of traffic.  Authorities are expecting heavy traffic just about everywhere in the region, compounded by the fact many of the rural roads in the path of totality are only two lanes.  Karen Chavez of the Asheville Citizen-Times has been reporting on all parts of the solar eclipse.  She joined BPR's Matt Bush in studio to discuss the advisories that will be in effect, and what authorities are urging motorists to do on Monday.

TIPS FOR MONDAY -

  • Leave early 
  • Pack water, food, toiletries, and activities for young children to do while they're in the vehicle
  • Be patient.  Thousands of others will be trying to do the same thing you are - getting to a good spot to view the eclipse
  • Do not drive with your eclipse glasses on
  • Do not pull off on the sides of roads to watch the eclipse.  Pull into a safe spot like a parking lot or shopping center if you are unable to reach your intended destination.
  • Expect heavy traffic after 3 p.m. for a couple of hours, similar to what you might see after a sporting event or concert.
  • Special for the Blue Ridge Parkway - you cannot park and stay in your vehicle overnight on Sunday into Monday morning.  Rangers will make you leave.  And only stop to watch the eclipse at the many pull-offs along the road.
Matt Bush joined Blue Ridge Public Radio as news director in August 2016. Excited at the opportunity the build up the news service for both stations as well as help launch BPR News, Matt made the jump to Western North Carolina from Washington D.C. For the 8 years prior to coming to Asheville, he worked at the NPR member station in the nation's capital as a reporter and anchor. Matt primarily covered the state of Maryland, including 6 years of covering the statehouse in Annapolis. Prior to that, he worked at WMAL in Washington and Metro Networks in Pittsburgh, the city he was born and raised in.
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