BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Burlington is preparing for 50,000 extra visitors – the largest number of people in the city in history.
With that many people projected to come to town, there will be road closures galore to make the big day run smoothly.
Burlington is collaborating with state agencies to prepare for an unprecedented number of cars on the interstate, and event spaces will be packed too.
Zach Williamson of Burlington City Arts says there will be dedicated emergency sites at all of the viewing sites. He says services like the fire department and police will have all hands on deck staffing to respond if necessary.
“Everybody who was able is on duty during this day and working on the ground and for instance, all fire engines, they usually have two people will have three people so that they can isolate, perhaps, and take care of an emergency without having to bring in additional resources. Same with police. We’ll have more people stationed in different places in the city, just assuming that we can’t get around as easily,” said Williamson.
From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the Burlington Beltline will be closed, as it’s turning into a parking lot. The charge is 30 dollars for the day to park cars, with 16 shuttle buses bringing people to and from viewing events.
As for non-shuttle parking, Burlington City Arts says you can park in city garages for 30 dollars a day, park at Perkins Peir, park on Pine Street where the Farmer’s Market is, or find street parking.
After the eclipse finishes, Burlington is encouraging people to not leave the city right away. There will be an event in City Hall Park to encourage people to stay and shop downtown as the sun sets.
Stay with us for more information on parking, traffic, and road closures, and how you can enjoy the eclipse.