No trucks on the AP-7 and a large police deployment: this is how Catalonia prepares to avoid mobility chaos due to the eclipse

It has been 121 years since Catalonia last saw a solar eclipse, and another 154 will have to pass before there is another. Between 7:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on August 12, the southern strip of the country will experience a total eclipse. The Sun, however, will only be covered by the moon for a period of between 28 seconds and 1 minute and 32 seconds.

But it is not only the eclipse that positions Catalonia within a "key framework" of the international astrology circuit, as the Minister of Research and Universities, Núria Montserrat, explained this Friday, but the attractiveness of the phenomenon also poses an organizational challenge due to the large deployment of people, from the country and from afar, who are expected to travel to see the eclipse. For this reason, the Catalan Transit Service has launched several measures to regulate mobility on the 12th.

23 designated observation areas

In the plan, the Terres de l'Ebre, Camp de Tarragona, and Ponent have received special attention, where the 18 municipalities with 23 total safe observation areas established by the Department of Research and Universities of the Generalitat with the help of the Rural Agents corps are located. These areas, especially the Terres de l'Ebre, are already particularly crowded in mid-August due to tourism. The fact that the eclipse can be observed from both land and sea makes it an area of special attraction.

The Government cannot know how many citizens will travel to see the eclipse, but the designated points will, in total, have the capacity to attend to and provide parking spaces for approximately 50,000 people and 20,000 vehicles. At these points, 150,000 approved glasses with ISO 12312-2 will be distributed to protect the eyes, as exposure to sunlight during the eclipse, especially when it is partial, can cause irreversible retinal damage.Restrictions on truck traffic

Between 2 PM on the 12th and 00:00 AM on the 13th, trucks will not be able to circulate southbound on the AP-7 between Martorell and Ulldecona, nor on the N-340 from Vilafranca del Penedès to Ulldecona. The Servei Català de Trànsit is in talks with the DGT to determine if this same restriction can be applied northbound on both roads. If it is not approved, trucks will have to drive at 80 km/h in the right lane, with no overtaking allowed.

Furthermore, although the AP-7 will be the main artery for movement on the day, alternative routes have been designated to avoid congestion in the hours before and after the eclipse. The Servei Català de Trànsit recommends using the C-25 and the A-2 for citizens traveling to the Ponent region, and the AP-2 for those heading towards Lleida, les Borges Blanques, Valls, and Prades. For those heading to Terres de l'Ebre and Camp de Tarragona, the use of the A-7 and the N-340 is recommended. Roadside officers will indicate both these alternative routes and the direction to the main access points for observation sites.

The Generalitat is confident that arrival at the observation points will be staggered. Minister Montserrat has advised that those who can should take the opportunity to "arrive at the location a day or two before the eclipse." In contrast, no return plan has been established once the event has concluded. What may facilitate a progressive de-escalation, however, is that the night coincides with the Perseid meteor shower, and it is expected that some attendees will decide to stay later to try and see the meteor shower.

700 personnel and fire risk

In addition to the usual deployment, 200 officers from the Citizen Security Unit, 420 agents from the Regional Services, and 80 from the Central Service of the Mossos d'Esquadra will be part of a police operation that will begin the day before the eclipse to manage both the mobility and security of attendees. From the Operational Coordination Center of Catalonia (CECAT) in Reus, the Civil Protection device of the Generalitat will be established, where the actions of Rural Agents, Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalan Traffic Service, and the Medical Emergency System will be coordinated. As explained by the deputy director of Civil Protection, Sergi Dalmau, this seeks to guarantee an "integrated response" from all bodies in the face of possible incidents.

Dalmau emphasized the high "risk of fires" in natural surroundings, and asked people to "act with self-protection" to reduce the risk of incidents. As Dalmau reported, if phase 4 of Plan Alfa is activated in established observation areas, these will be closed. During the days leading up to the eclipse, citizens will be informed about "particularly sensitive" areas. Nevertheless, it is recommended not to watch the eclipse from unofficial points, as these may not comply with the cartographic and environmental safety standards that the Rural Agents have established when designating safe observation zones.

Although the Government is responsible for the logistical management of the eclipse, each municipality will offer educational and entertainment activities, such as inflatable planetariums or informative talks. The program for each town hall can be consulted on the website eclipsicatalunya.cat.