CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) Eclipse watchers are expected to continue to make their way into Clarksville and Hopkinsville to view today’s event.
Eclipse Day forecast: mostly sunny and clear
The eclipse begins in Clarksville at 11:57 a.m. and will last about three hours. Eclipse totality start at 1:25 p.m. and will last 2 minutes and 18 seconds. The start is about 30 seconds earlier in Hopkinsville with around 20 seconds more of total darkness.
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Keith Todd with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says traffic volumes continue to be well below what was anticipated. NASA predicted that up to 1/2 million people would travel to Western Kentucky for the Total Solar Eclipse.
Southbound traffic on the Pennyrile Parkway exiting to the KY 1682/Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard Hopkinsville Byass is backing up on the ramp. Southbound traffic using this ramp has to make a left turn to go into Hopkinsville and head to the prime viewing areas for the Total Solar Eclipse.
KYTC personnel are flagging traffic at the top of the ramp to provide better access to the KY 1682 Hopkinsville Bypass.
Flights to monitor traffic and provide video/photos will be continuous throughout the day with a break in overflights around 10:30 a.m., CDT, to avoid conflicting with a NASA balloon launch from several locations around the region.
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