Solar eclipse traffic: What to expect in Austin, Central Texas

Posted: Apr 4, 2024 / 10:20 AM CDT

Updated: Apr 4, 2024 / 01:01 PM CDT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — One of the most common questions about the total solar eclipse is about traffic expectations. KXAN Traffic Anchor Erica Brennes has details on where you can expect solar eclipse traffic to be heaviest on April 8.

Let’s start in Austin where you’ll have lots of people staying put to view the eclipse, but you’ll also have folks coming through Austin from the east, headed west. You can expect people driving in from cities east of Austin, like Bastrop, Manor, La Grange, and Houston.

Many will pass right through Austin and continue heading west to cities like Fredericksburg or Marble Falls.

For comparison, the City of Austin is expected to get roughly one minute and 37 seconds of totality, meaning the sun will be completely covered by the earth’s shadow.

But if you head southwest from Austin on U.S. Highway 290, you get more time in the path of totality. For instance, Dripping Springs is expected to get 2 minutes and 58 seconds. Johnson City should see 3 minutes and 58 seconds. Fredericksburg gets 4 minutes, 23 seconds.

All of those cities are located along U.S. Highway 290, so you can expect heavy traffic along that highway throughout the solar eclipse.

U.S. Highway 281 is also expected to have heavier traffic for the solar eclipse. The road runs through cities like Marble Falls, with 4 minutes and 13 seconds of totality, and Burnet, with 4 minutes and 20 seconds of solar eclipse totality expected.

Even Liberty Hill is slated to get 3 minutes and 51 seconds of totality. This means U.S. Highway 183 headed to Liberty Hill and Highway 29 between Liberty Hill and Burnet will be crowded.

One big thing to remember — you should not stop in the middle of the highway to catch a view of the eclipse.

“Our job is to keep the roadways open before, during and after the eclipse. Open, however, does not always mean flowing,” Bradley Wheelis, a spokesperson with the Texas Department of Transportation, said.

TxDOT has switched their highway signs to remind drivers about the solar eclipse on April 8 and to plan ahead, by knowing your viewing location in advance so you’re not tempted to park illegally to watch.

“Be prepared to spend some time in traffic because you will not stop on the roadway to view the eclipse. Do not park on the shoulder and stay off the right of way to avoid damaging our beautiful wildflowers or sparking a wildfire,” Wheelis said.

Drivers should be mindful of the extra people out and about looking up at the sky, possibly not paying attention to the vehicle traffic around them.