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I-5 bumper-to-bumper in Oregon after eclipse

By KIRO 7 News Staff
By KIRO 7 News Staff

SEATTLE — A solar eclipse passed over Western Washington mid-morning on Monday as the path of totality swept the United States. The sun was eclipsed 92 percent in Seattle, but some areas in the northwest saw complete darkness.

For those who traveled out of state for the total eclipse, the drive back from that memorable experience will be through brutal traffic, according to state leaders. Here’s what to know.

Is traffic really going to be that bad, or is this hype?

Heed the warning that authorities have shared for weeks.

Transportation departments in Washington state and Oregon have warned travelers that traffic will most likely be worse than they expect. That is because there is just an approximate 60-to-70 mile area of Central Oregon that will be within the eclipse’s path of totality. Backups are expected in both states before and after the eclipse as thousands of people try to cruise in and out of the area.

Gov. Kate Brown has authorized the National Guard to help manage the expected surge of up to 1 million tourists.  And the preparations and advisories are not overboard.

What's the worst traffic now? 

Interstate 5 near Salem, Oregon, had bumper-to-bumper traffic almost immediately after the solar eclipse peaked. The Washington Department of Transportation reported that the travel time from Salem to Portland in three hours; a commute usually 30 minutes.

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Traffic was also heavy heading from central Oregon to Portland.

WSDOT said in a tweet: "Returning from Oregon now? Good luck. It's really nasty."

Are gas stations actually running out of gas? 

Gas stations along the route were reportedly running out of fuel mid-week as people traveled to view the eclipse.

Some gas stations in Bend reported they ran out of gas and diesel on Wednesday when backups started getting bad near Prineville as people waited to get into the Ochoco National Forest. .

If I’m not leaving Oregon, do I need to worry about traffic in Washington?

Gov. Jay Inslee is asking Washington residents driving south to plan ahead and use caution.

Officials with the Washington State Department of Transportation are telling motorists to prepare for significant traffic delays similar to those encountered during a large winter storm, or Seattle traffic after a Seahawks game, on top of traffic backed up from a road-construction project.

>> 'Unprecedented' traffic caused by eclipse travel could clog local roads

What are the expected chokepoints?

Expected choke points on the roads include:

  • The Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 bridges that connect Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon;
  • U.S. 97 into Klickitat County
  • The Lewis and Clark Bridge between Longview, Washington, and Rainier, Oregon
  • U.S. 101 from Ilwaco, Washington to Astoria, Oregon

Why are so many people obsessed with the eclipse?

A total eclipse won’t be visible from the West Coast again until 2045, when it will cross northern California.

RELATED: >> Eclipse passes Seattle area, turns day into night across the US

NASA’s path of totality maps show a crisply defined, 70-mile-wide path where the moon blocks 100 percent of the sun. The totality will reach Oregon at 10:16 a.m. PST, and will end in South Carolina at 2:49 p.m. EST, which is about an hour and a half time frame of crossing the country.

Cox Media Group

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