If you’re planning on heading southwest for the April 8 solar eclipse, Niagara police are urging you to keep traffic in mind.

“We know that there is going to be a significant crowd when we look at the hotel capacities for Niagara Falls,” explained Constable Phil Gavin in an interview with Durham Radio News.

“Most of those are sold out,” he added. “When you add two or three or four people per room, the crowds start to get pretty large.”

Areas like Hamilton and Niagara Falls are in what is known as the ‘path of totality.’ People in those areas will see the moon completely cover the sun.

In Durham Region, the eclipse will only be ‘near-total.’

According to Gavin, you should prepare for congestion on the highways – particularly on the Queen Elizabeth Way [QEW] – and possibly long periods of gridlock.

“Should you be considering having food, water, snacks, medications?” he posed. “If you have a pet with you, what does that mean? If you have children with you, what does that mean? What does it mean if you have to use the bathroom and you’re stuck in traffic for an extended period of time?”

He recommended having a full tank of gas before hitting the highway.

“We anticipate that people are going to try and outsmart the QEW,” he added. “City roads, town roads and service roads will likely see significant traffic as well.”

The usual safety tips also apply.

“We’re asking people not to stop in an unsafe location where it could put themselves or other users of the roadway at risk,” said Gavin. “That would be something like pulling over on the side of the QEW to take a picture of the Niagara Falls sign. Meanwhile, there are cars going by at 120 kilometres an hour.”

There are also things to remember if you happen to be behind the wheel during totality, which could briefly feel like nighttime.

In a post on its website, the Durham Region Health Department suggests watching out for pedestrians and turning on your headlights. You should not be wearing eclipse glasses while driving.

If you want to stop and watch the sun, or take any photos, officials say you should stop somewhere safe – and not on a shoulder. Don’t pull out your phone if you are driving.

“If there’s a ton of road congestion and distracted driving leads for you to be involved in a collision, you’ve just compounded the whole issue,” said Gavin.

He noted it may be better to park away from your destination and walk in, or ride a bike. “It may be able to get you a lot further, getting in and getting out, than a car will,” he said.

According to Gavin, first-responder groups in Niagara Falls are planning to barricade some routes to allow ambulances to pass through.

GO Transit will be expanding service on April 8 along its Lakeshore West train line.

Due to the rarity of this event, officials are unsure exactly how many people will be flocking to Niagara Region. The closest estimates can be gleaned from Canada Day and New Year’s Eve events, or the 2012 tightrope walk by daredevil Nik Wallenda across the Niagara Gorge.

According to a CTV report at the time, the Wallenda crossing drew crowds of around 120,000 people, on the Canadian side of the falls.

“We have some indication that the crowds will be larger for this,” suggested Gavin.

“The vast majority of those people are going to be coming down the Queen Elizabeth Way, and probably into Niagara Falls through the [Highway] 420 and Stanley [Avenue],” he noted. “We are asking people to plan ahead. If you have the time, do the research. There are different ways in and out of Niagara. It’s not all down the QEW.”

For some Durham-specific information about the eclipse, click here.

Click here for some more safety tips by Niagara police.