Central Maine Must Prepare for Extremely Heavy Traffic

Unless you live under a rock, you know that a total solar eclipse will be visible in the skies over much of New England on Monday.

For the first time in decades, the path of totality, where the sun is completely blocked out, will pass over Maine.  Because of this, tens of thousands of people are expected to descend on the state in the next few days.

The path of totality passes through some of the most remote parts of Maine.  Jackman, Rangely, Millinocket, and Houlton, for example.

On the plus side, this event will bring much-needed tourist dollars to the state during a time of year when there are typically fewer visitors.  Some towns, like Houlton, have been planning for this event for years.

On the downside, this is expected to cause more than a few traffic issues over the next few days.

What areas are expected to see the worst traffic issues?

According to WCSH 6, one of the areas to see a severe impact from the traffic will be Central Maine.  Specifically, the section of I-95 between Augusta and Waterville.

This makes a lot of sense.  Many of the visitors to the state will be traveling through that area to get to Houlton and Littleton.  Or, they'll be getting off I-95 in Waterville so they can take Route 201 to Western Maine towns, like Jackman.

The article also explains that we can expect to see more traffic in the area near I-95 in Gray and on Route 1 in Southern Maine.

Precautions you are going to want to take include:

• Making sure your vehicle is fully fueled.
• Allowing extra time to get to important appointments.
• Taking side roads whenever possible.
• Remembering that animals may be confused by the eclipse and wander onto the road.

When can we expect an increase in traffic?

The busiest day will be Monday.  However, since some communities are doing events in the days leading up to the eclipse and some people intend to stay Monday night, we can expect Sunday and Tuesday to have heavier-than-normal traffic amounts as well.

Wherever you plan to watch the eclipse, please be safe and have fun.  Also, please be patient with our visitors.