“Our goal is to be prepared for whatever” eclipse brings: Arkansas governor

arkadelphian.com

With 34 days left until the Total Solar Eclipse, state agencies in The Natural State are prepared for the influx of visitors expected ahead of and after the event, Arkansas’s top government officials said Monday in a press conference.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, joined by top executives of several agencies, said, “Many people will be coming to Arkansas for the first time.” 

No one seems to have a concrete figure as to how many tourists will converge. In response to one reporter who surmised upwards of 3 million visitors, Sanders quipped, “I’m glad I’m not reading whatever material you are.” The governor estimated between 300,000 and 1 million visitors but said “our goal is to be prepared for whatever.”

Weather could impact the number of visitors. Should Arkansas have pleasant weather while Texas sees a wet spell, the governor said the total number of visitors would likely influx up to the day of the eclipse.

“The main thing we want to do is ensure people have a safe and enjoyable experience,” Sanders said. “We are trying to focus on building out those scenarios so that we’re prepared for whatever may arise.”

Travel in Arkansas during the eclipse

The state’s Department of Transportation is preparing highways for extra traffic. “We know there will be delays,” said ARDOT director Lorie Tudor. “We know [our highway system] will be tested.”

Tourists and Arkansans alike should rely on the iDriveArkansas app for traffic conditions. 

An online traffic management plan will halt lane closures and active construction zones from April 5-9. Tudor added that the agency is working to limit oversized loads, re-routing them elsewhere or re-scheduling them around the event.

Arkansas tourism and the eclipse

The eclipse has the potential to be the largest tourism event in the state’s history, said Shea Lewis, director of Arkansas State Parks.

Of the state’s 52 state parks, 26 of them will be in the path of totality. DeGray Lake Resort State Park is among them.

Lewis said the state parks system has established visitation and vehicle thresholds at each park, limiting each to 89% occupancy to manage congestion. Those staying at state parks for the eclipse event will be hanging around before and after the eclipse itself, Lewis said, as an estimated 65% of state park guests are leaving the Tuesday after the eclipse, with an additional 20% checking out that Wednesday.

Lewis noted that Russellville was selected as one of the top 10 locations by astronomy.com to view the eclipse, and Outside magazine named the Buffalo National River as the perfect spot for outdoor enthusiasts to soak in the (lack of) sun.

Monday’s press conference also included remarks from the Department of Emergency Management, Department of Health and even the Department of Education, which has doled out about 1 million pairs of eclipse-viewing glasses to Arkansas schoolchildren.

Watch the full press conference in the video below.