Eclipse pilgrims added extra 166,000 vehicles passing through NH tolls

The high number of vehicles and limited capacity, particularly through Franconia Notch, impacted traffic in Franconia, Lancaster, and other parts of the north country. (Courtesy photo)

CONCORD - Based on data collected from the New Hampshire Toll system, the NHDOT is reporting that 1,629,059 total vehicles passed through the toll system this past weekend, which is an additional 166,254 vehicles over the same weekend last year. On Monday, April 8 and Tuesday, April 9, over 54,000 more vehicles traveled through the Hooksett Toll plaza as compared to the same days last year.

The high number of vehicles and limited capacity, particularly through Franconia Notch, impacted traffic in Franconia, Lancaster, and other parts of the north country, and in the states of Maine and Vermont. Unlike other states, I-93 in New Hampshire merges into one lane through Franconia Notch. As Commissioner Bill Cass explained on Tuesday, the northbound lane could not be converted into a second southbound lane given that there is no access point to remerge traffic without significant construction.

No major accidents were reported due to solar eclipse related traffic. Additional toll information will be available and posted to the NHDOT website as soon as possible.