Residents of the Community of Madrid have started traveling towards the north of the region in search of the total solar eclipse zone, where the Moon will completely obscure the Sun. This astronomical phenomenon has caused a significant increase in travel.
Around 1:00 PM, the first traffic congestion was reported on the A-1 highway, heading towards Burgos. The jams affected the municipalities of San Sebastián de los Reyes, El Molar, Pedrezuela, and Lozoyuela-Navas-Sieteiglesias, according to the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT).
The Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities estimates that travel for this reason could increase by 30% to 100% from partial eclipse zones to the totality zone, translating to an additional 400,000 to 1.5 million travelers nationwide.
In anticipation of increased traveler numbers, the Regional Government has reinforced public transport. The Regional Transport Consortium of Madrid (CRTM) has implemented a special plan including reserve buses at major interchanges, standby drivers, and information staff to manage the expected passenger surge.
The DGT has deployed a specific surveillance operation on the main roads in the northern third of the Community, focusing on the A-1, M-607, A-2 (Henares corridor), and A-6 (Guadarrama Mountains) axes.
