We have been talking about this for months.  Public safety agencies from Texas to Maine are gearing up for the massive crowds that assemble along the path of totality of a solar eclipse.  The NBC Evening News will originate from Indianapolis Monday to be at the center of the celestial event.

Fishers has been preparing for the solar eclipse as well, as we are also smack-dab in the middle of the “path of totality” for the eclipse.  The total eclipse will be visible for a few minutes in Fishers at about 3:06pm Monday.

I have heard from communities in the path of totality during the 2017 solar eclipse and their local roads were gridlocked for hours once the solar event was over.  Fishers public safety agencies have been working to keep emergency traffic open.  If you have driven on Cumberland Road lately you may have noticed the signs indicating it will be the north-south corridor set aside for local and emergency vehicles only.

The City of Fishers recently released a list of items local residents need to know to navigate the city Monday.  Below is that guidance:

Stay Informed

• Fishers Parks properties will have a modified schedule open to pedestrian traffic only. Beginning at dusk on April 7 through dusk on April 8, vehicular traffic will be restricted to encourage residents to visit neighborhoods or local parks via pedestrian access instead of adding vehicles to the roadways. Geist Waterfront Park and Cumberland Park will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian access.
• The Fishers Health Department Clinic will be closed and not accepting appointments or walk-ins.
• Prepare for the event like you would prepare for a large-scale winter storm. Ensure proper fuel for vehicular travel and that necessary medication is stocked and accessible, food and water are prepared, and if traveling, that alternate routes are identified.
• With the anticipated increase of video streaming, social media usage, and calls in a relatively small, concentrated area, those in the path of totality should anticipate loss in communications or poor service.

• Locations that experienced a Total Solar Eclipse in the past saw heavy, often standstill, traffic. With the anticipated additional traffic, motorists should travel with emergency preparedness in mind. This includes ensuring gas tanks are full, planning for extra time to your destination, and packing water and snacks in anticipation of long delays.
• Cumberland Road will experience limited, local access only on April 8 to keep a clear thoroughfare for public safety. East-west roadways at Cumberland Road will have soft closures and allow local access only.
• Be advised there are also ongoing road projects and road closures around Fishers, including 146^th and Allisonville (north/south closure); State Road 37 & 141^st Street (east/west closure); and 106^th Street and Mud Creek (between Cumberland Road and Hamilton Pass).
• Fishers Engineering and Public Works Departments will suspend all road construction work on the day of the eclipse.

Public Safety & Emergency Response

• Call 911 in the event of an emergency. For non-emergency issues, call the non-emergency line is 317-773-1282.
• Fishers Fire and Emergency Services and Fishers Police Department will be stationed throughout the city in various locations to alleviate travel distances for emergency responses in the event of heavy traffic.
• In the event of a community emergency, all communications will be published from the City of Fishers social media accounts.

Safety Information

• When watching an eclipse, you must always wear safe solar viewing glasses (eclipse glasses). Visit visithamiltoncounty.com for a list of local businesses selling eclipse glasses.
• It is never safe to look directly at the sun, even if the sun is partly obscured.
• Do not view the eclipse through regular sunglasses.
• Viewing any part of the sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter will instantly cause severe eye injury.