The Tennessee Highway Patrol said troopers haven't planned for an event so extensively since Y2K. Now the countdown is on: two and a half weeks until day briefly turns to night and we experience a total solar eclipse.
It's something Tennessee state agencies have been planning for since Christmas.
On August 21, TDOT drivers like Highway Response Supervisor Bo Boguskie will be stationed across the state.
"I won't be moving at times, I will be mobile at times," he said.
He and 28 other yellow help truck drivers will be ready to respond to crashes and other calls for help in the Nashville region.
"We don't want it to be any more than a normal day (for crashes), but we're not so naïve," Boguskie said.
It's a day - or should we say night - when timing is everything. The eclipse enters the Mid-State around 1:20 that afternoon, spanning interstates 24, 40 and 65 in some places until just after 1:30 p.m.
That means planning is everything, too.
"We have everyone that's available scheduled to work," said Tennessee Highway Patrol Lt. Bill Miller.
Boguskie said TDOT has the same plan.
TDOT and THP may not usually be afraid of the dark, but they do share one ultimate fear: that people will stop on the road or shoulder, causing serious or deadly crashes.
"Do not park on the roadways to watch the eclipse, do not take selfies of yourself with the eclipse," Miller said.
"I've seen it happen," said Boguskie, who worked for decades on fatal crash scenes with Metro Police before joining TDOT. "You can get killed sitting in the interstate on your car in less than 5 seconds. That's not what we want."
Troopers said there are some things you can do to help: carpool or take mass transit if at all possible. If you are driving, turn on your headlights. When driving don't look directly at the sun and whatever you do don't try to wear your dark safety goggles on the road.
They said they're ready for the hundreds of thousands of extra drivers in town. But what happens depends on how drivers react.
"You have to use common sense, you have to be wise," Lt. Miller said.
Pay attention and keep moving. That way the eclipse will pass, leaving just fond memories behind.
"I'm sure it's going to be an amazing event but it's nothing that the public can't handle, it's nothing we can't handle," Boguskie said.
TDOT, THP, TEMA and emergency managers from across the area will meet at the TDOT Command Center that day, turning it into a war room with access to cameras across the region. They will keep close watch on the roads.
Keep in mind that if you do stop along the road, you will be reprimanded by law enforcement and you could get a ticket.
The best thing you can do is plan ahead. Anticipate traffic that day and get to your viewing spot early so you're not caught on the roads during the eclipse.
