If you’re heading down to Oregon next week to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse, you’ll want to plan ahead.
The full eclipse, an area known as the “totality,” will be visible in an area just south of Portland beginning at 10:15 a.m. Monday, and officials are expecting as many as one million sky-watching tourists will flock to the state.
Washington State Department of Transportation spokesperson Bart Treece said many of those tourists are expected to come from B.C., and is warning anyone heading south to take their time.
“We’ve heard from folks that they may want to try to get up early Monday morning and then sprint down I-5 into Oregon, watch the eclipse and then go home on the same day, and that’s just not a good idea,” Treece said.
That’s because the I-5 corridor through Seattle, which is notorious for its congestion, will be packed with morning commuters — as well as eclipse tourists, Treece said.
Instead, he said anyone heading south should make a weekend of it.
“Arrive early, stay put, and stay late so this is a multi-day event if you’re going down to Oregon.”
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Treece is also advising travellers to ensure their car is in good shape, and that families with kids are well provisioned with water for what can be an eight-hour drive or longer.
He also urged caution for drivers on the road when the eclipse happens, even if they haven’t made it as far south as the eclipse totality.
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“This is something that everybody’s going to see a little bit, so we don’t want people to be caught by surprise. So we want people to avoid stopping on the side of the highway to view the eclipse because the side of I-5 is not the safest place for someone to be. That’s reserved for emergencies.”
This is the first full solar eclipse to be visible in the Pacific Northwest since 1979.
Canadians who can’t make it south on Monday won’t be totally out of luck; 90 per cent of the sun should go dark in Vancouver at around 10 a.m. Monday.
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