Oversize loads banned from 83 Texas counties in to cut down on traffic during the solar eclipse.
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles states that tourists flocking to the state to view the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th are expected to cause “severe traffic delays.” Because of this traffic expectation, TxDOT states that “no size/weight permitted travel will be allowed on that day from midnight to midnight” in the following 83 central Texas counties:
- Anderson, Atascosa
- Bandera, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Bosque, Bowie, Brown, Burnet
- Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Coleman, Collin, Comal, Comanche, Coryell
- Dallas, Delta, Denton, Dimmit
- Edwards, Ellis, Erath
- Falls, Fannin, Franklin, Freestone, Frio
- Gillespie, Grayson, Gregg
- Hamilton, Harrison, Hays, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Hunt
- Johnson
- Kaufman, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney
- Lamar, Lampasas, Leon, Limestone, Llano
- Marion, Mason, Maverick, McClennan, McCullough, Medina, Menard, Milam, Mills, Morris
- Navarro
- Parker
- Rains, Real, Red River, Robertson, Rockwall
- San Saba, Smith, Somervell, Sutton
- Tarrant, Titus, Travis
- Upshur, Uvalde
- Val Verde, Van Zandt
- Williamson, Wood
- Zavala
“There’s already setbacks in the first place as a trucker,” said truck driver Aidan Ragheb to ABC 10. “So when you have more restrictions — then added on top with a permit — then your trip just becomes longer and longer.”
“In the end of it all, it’s all about safety,” Ragheb said. “Whoever you’re driving for should already be prepared to either get it there the day before, or have it planned the day after [the solar eclipse].”
During the 2017 solar eclipse, states in the path of totality saw a 222% increase in traffic, ABC 10 reported.
“Well if them guys can’t go, they’re going to have to find a place to park, and it’s going to make quite a difference for them,” said Ken Clark, a truck driver who drives through Texas each week.
“If you take out a whole day of travel, that’s pretty serious,” Ragheb added.
Vermont has issued a similar restriction on oversize loads for the solar eclipse on Monday the 8th, and is even “strongly urging commercial motor vehicle drivers traveling to and through Vermont… to consider alternative delivery dates and routes.”
Meanwhile, officials in Arkansas are suggesting that carriers and truck drivers take a “truck holiday” during the solar eclipse. Though the state’s official traffic plan states that there will be “no penalty for those who decide to operate during the eclipse.”