Visitors who flocked to northern New England to witness the breathtaking total solar eclipse found themselves in a frustrating situation as they attempted to return home.
Thousands of eclipse-chasers were told to pack their patience, and for good reason – some found themselves stuck in traffic for up to 12 hours after the celestial event.
New Hampshire’s roads bore the brunt of the post-eclipse congestion. Interstate 93 southbound was bumper-to-bumper until around 2 a.m. Tuesday, while Interstate 89 southbound and U.S. Highway 1 in Houlton, Maine, also saw heavy traffic throughout Monday evening. The clear skies and mild weather that made for ideal viewing conditions in New Hampshire towns like Lancaster, Stewartstown, Colebrook, and Pittsburg near the Canadian border also contributed to the massive influx of visitors.
Massachusetts resident John Martin described the slow crawl near Franconia, where New Hampshire Route 3 meets the interstate, as a “creep and a crawl.” Many travelers tried to outsmart the congestion by using their GPS to find alternate routes, but as Martin noted, “everybody else was thinking the same thing.”
New Hampshire officials had anticipated the potential for slow-going traffic and encouraged visitors to extend their stay in the area, which typically sees its peak tourist season during the summer and fall foliage. Gov. Chris Sununu even playfully reminded out-of-state visitors that New Hampshire has no sales tax, giving them another reason to linger a bit longer.
The post-eclipse traffic woes were not limited to New England. In Paducah, Kentucky, and neighboring Illinois communities, thousands of people crossing the Ohio River after viewing the eclipse encountered sluggish traffic. Similarly, southbound Interstate 65 in southern Indiana and Interstate 81 in New York and Pennsylvania saw slow-moving vehicles as eclipse enthusiasts made their way home from an unforgettable experience.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.