The day has finally arrived. The total solar eclipse, the first in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands in over 100 years, will test mobility on roads and highways this afternoon, with a focus on the AP-7, and the social response to an astronomical phenomenon turned into a great spectacle that almost no one wants to miss. Without recent precedents and few possible comparisons, today one of the great unknowns will be answered: will there be massive movements, seeking the best observation point in the path of totality, from Galicia to Mallorca, where the Moon will completely cover the Sun?
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Another uncertainty: to see if the population follows the advice repeated over and over, such as traveling with time, anticipating the trip, or prioritizing observation from home or nearby places.
Also to check if priority is given to monitoring from urban centers, without invading natural spaces with the alert activated due to the risk of forest fires. The Forest Fire Danger Index (IPIF) is expected to reach very high or extreme levels in much of the Peninsula and Balearic Islands, with exceptions in some areas of northern Galicia and the Cantabrian area.
It remains to be seen what will happen in the points where the latest weather forecasts announce clouds. Last-minute movements, if massive, could favor collapses. The latest forecast from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet): clouds in the Cantabrian area and northern Galicia and a stable situation in most of the country, with a predominance of slightly cloudy or clear skies.
One of the big thermometers will be on the roads. In Catalonia, concern focuses on the AP-7 in its southernmost section, between Tarragona and the Ebro delta. The Mossos d’Esquadra will carry out surveillance to prevent cars from stopping on the shoulders of the highway or the N-340, almost parallel, with sections of good visibility of the eclipse.
Some clouds in the Cantabrian and northern Galicia and stability in most of the path of totality
To try to avoid major traffic jams and deal with possible incidents, the Department of the Interior has coordinated a huge operation, the most important in history for a major event, with 700 Mossos d’Esquadra, coordination with local police, and a helicopter that will fly over the AP-7 repeatedly. Information from the air and data captured from Martorell (Barcelona) about vehicle entry onto the highway towards Tarragona will be used to make strategic detours.
The Catalan Traffic Service (SCT), which expects that 60% of the mobility generated by the eclipse will be within the same county or province, will close some exits of the southern AP-7 this afternoon if it detects a risk of collapse. One of the most sensitive areas is on the Ebro coast, with four “magnetic” points, according to Ramon Lamiel, SCT director, who warned yesterday: l’Ametlla de Mar, l’Ampolla, l’Aldea, and Amposta, where an extraordinary flow of vehicles leaving the AP-7 to go to observation points in the Ebro delta is expected.
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With the aim of removing vehicles from the AP-7, Trànsit has designed a mobility strategy with alternatives. In the southern section, upon arrival of the AP-7 to the counties of Tarragona, the A-7 highway is one of the main escape routes from the highway for vehicles heading towards the Costa Daurada. Other alternative routes have been planned for vehicles heading towards the Ponent counties (Lleida), the C-25 and the A-2, or to go to the city of Lleida, Les Borges Blanques, Valls, or Prades, already inland in Tarragona, the AP-2 highway.
The Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) has also designed a special device for surveillance, management, and real-time information to guarantee safety. Aerial means will also supervise the eclipse operation here. Special attention in the path of totality: Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country, Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y León, Community of Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, Aragón, Valencian Community, and the Balearic Islands.
From Galicia to the Balearic Islands, hours and durations
The solar eclipse will be fully visible in 36 Spanish provinces located in a wide band crossing Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country, Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y León, Community of Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, Aragón, Catalonia, Valencian Community, and the Balearic Islands. But not in all points of this band will it be seen at the same time nor will the duration of totality be the same. From 19:30 hours, the Moon will begin to come between the Earth and the Sun in the westernmost areas of the Peninsula. In A Coruña, the eclipse will start at 19:31 h, reach its maximum at 20:28, with a totality duration of 1 minute and 16 seconds, and end at 21:22, a few minutes before sunset. In the city of Tarragona, totality will start at 20:29 h and last 59 seconds. The longest duration of totality will be in Burgos (1m44s) and Soria (1m42s). In the Ebro delta, totality will arrive at 20:30 h and last one and a half minutes. In Palma (Mallorca), the zenith 1m36s.
The Ministry of the Interior has kept the Unified Command Post (PMU) activated since Monday to direct and coordinate security and Civil Protection devices. Everything, at least in principle, is ready.
Trànsit will close exits of the AP-7 in southern Catalonia if it detects a risk of major traffic jams
Coexistence on the road, on August 12, between tourists traveling, eclipse chasers, and transporters, has led to restricting truck passage in the southern AP-7 section from 5 p.m. until midnight. Northbound, towards Barcelona, in the same section, trucks will be allowed to circulate but must do so in the right lane and at a speed limit (80 km/h).
The return operation from the eclipse also worries. The main recommendation is to avoid returning home or to vacation accommodation immediately after the phenomenon. Both the DGT and SCT advise staggering the return to avoid major traffic jams. The best option is to wait until dusk and enjoy the activities organized at many observation points. For those with more patience or endurance, it is even possible to wait until night, with the forecast that the Perseids will offer an epilogue to the awaited eclipse. Tomorrow will already be history.
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