BEDFORD—Lawrence County Sheriff Greg Day says officials are unsure what to expect from the total solar eclipse.
“None of us have ever experienced a total solar eclipse here before. We do know that this total eclipse is different from the partial eclipses we have seen in the past. We have used the minimal number of past total eclipse events in the United States as a framework for what we might see and experience regarding public safety.”
The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office has worked with Lawrence County Emergency Management and other regional partners and public safety agencies for the last year to plan what to expect.
“We have developed an action plan for our agency that addresses what we see could be our biggest concerns,” Sheriff Day added.
Biggest Concerns:
Possible traffic jams in certain areas (backups could happen anywhere, but the main areas of concern include the following:)
- State Road 60 East, Mitchell, and county roads in the southeast part of the county. Spring Mill is expecting 11,000 people. When they leave simultaneously, traffic congestion will follow.. There could be increased crashes in that area as out-of-town visitors follow GPS on unfamiliar roads to avoid highway backups.
- State Road 446 – this is a two-lane, narrow roadway. There are numerous viewing spots along the lake in Monroe County. Traffic will be sent south on SR 446 to avoid the congestion in Bloomington. This will put a heavy amount of traffic in Lawrence County.
- US 50 West/State Road 37 Junction – The Lawrence County Fairgrounds is hosting a significant event. When everyone leaves once the eclipse is over, traffic in the area could back up.
- State Road 37 North around Judah – they expect 300,000 plus people in Monroe County for all their events. The Fairfax area will be bustling. Monroe County traffic can spill over into northern Lawrence County as out-of-towners travel to their destinations before and especially after the eclipse. This could be a big problem in this area.
- The northwestern part of the county has camping at the Lawrence County Recreation Park. Depending on the number of people who attend, we could see traffic equivalent to when the ABATE Boogie and other events are held there.
Sheriff Day is expecting difficulty responding to calls for service.
If we experience large backups and standstill traffic, it will become difficult for law enforcement and first responders to navigate through it to get to calls for service,’ he added.
Law enforcement knows there will be a likelihood of increased traffic crashes.
More traffic means the potential for more crashes,” added Sheriff Day. “There is definitely concern about rural county roads where people may be using them to avoid highway backups.”
The Sheriff’s Department has a plan of action. Some of the highlights include:
- Dividing the county into six sectors with at least two officers in each section will increase response time to calls and avoid some traffic congestion.
- Days off were canceled for multiple officers to ensure adequate manpower
- Overlapping ten-hour shifts, with heavy coverage between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Six dispatchers (triple the regular manpower)
- Adjusting shifts for jail and civilian employees
- Four reserve officers will be assisting
- The department will be using side-by-sides along State 446 when traffic is so congested that police vehicles cannot negotiate the backup.
Sheriff Day asks our local citizens to be mindful of the potential problems and do what they can to alleviate any issues.
“Please do not add to any traffic congestion if you don’t have to,’ Sheriff Day added. “Also, if you need service from the department, remember that we will prioritize emergency calls and that our response times might be longer than usual due to traffic back ups. We feel good about the action plan we have put in place, but as with any large-scale event, there could always be something unanticipated that arises. Hopefully, we have over-planned, but the approach all public safety officials have taken in preparation is to be ready for the worst but hope for the best. Please, enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event, but be safe.”
