BATON ROUGE, La. - As many people prepare to view the solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development would like to remind motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians to be safe and pay extra attention when traveling on the roadways.
“While our state is not in the direct path of the eclipse, weather permitting, some parts of the state could see anywhere from 70% to 82% of sun coverage at the peak of the eclipse,” said DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson. “While this is a rare event, our main priority is safety for travelers of all modes and ensuring they have access to available resources that will help plan their commutes to view the eclipse.”
To assist with a safe commute, DOTD is offering the following safe travel tips as suggested by the Federal Highway Administration:
• Don’t stop along the interstate or park on the shoulder during the event.
• Exit the highway to safe location to view and/or photograph the eclipse.
• Don’t take photographs while driving!
• Don’t try to wear opaque eclipse glasses while operating a vehicle.
• Turn your headlights on -- do not rely on your automatic headlights when the eclipse blocks out the sun.
• Watch out for pedestrians along smaller roads. People may be randomly parking and walking alongside the roadside in the hours around the eclipse to get the best view.
• Prepare for extra congestion especially on the interstates in the path on the day before, day of and day after the eclipse.
• Avoid travel during the eclipse or in the area of the main path if you can.
DOTD also has the following resources in place to assist motorists.
• MyDOTD: Motorists can receive information on local projects, lane and road closures, and other DOTD activity by signing up for MyDOTD at www.dotd.la.gov.
• 511 Traveler Information: Travelers can also find information regarding road closures and traffic by visiting www.511la.org or by dialing 511 from their telephone and saying the route or region about which they are seeking information. Out-of-state travelers can access the system by calling 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511).
• Twitter: DOTD has several localized twitter accounts that provide up-to-date travel information. You can sign up to get the latest travel information on road conditions, traffic and ferries via Twitter here: http://bit.ly/2rQGlV9
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