- Associated Press - Monday, August 21, 2017

The Latest on the total solar eclipse crossing Wyoming (all times local):

3 p.m.

The heavy post-eclipse traffic in Wyoming is causing slow travel along Interstate 25 and U.S. 85 in the eastern part of the state as well as in the far western part of the state.

Wyoming Department of Transportation spokesman Doug McGee says state troopers rerouted traffic off U.S. 85 in southeast Wyoming because it was so congested Monday afternoon.

McGee says that while the going is slow, traffic is at least moving and he hoped motorists would remain patient.

McGee says large numbers of eclipse watchers descended on the state from the west, south and the east. The northern part of the state wasn’t as bad off.

1:55 p.m.

Just as quickly as the total solar eclipse ended in Wyoming, thousands of vehicles have hit the roads and highways heading back home.

Traffic was heavy in many locations especially southbound on Interstate 25 out of Casper, Douglas and Glendo Reservoir on down through Cheyenne.

The Wyoming Department of Transportation says traffic counts increased by 217,000 over the five-year average statewide on Sunday alone.

Thousands more entered the state on Monday, and now many of the vehicles are on the road again.

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12:45 p.m.

Observers of the total eclipse in sunny Wyoming say it’s an impressive site to see.

Matt Nagy, of Laramie, viewed the eclipse from Glendo Reservoir in southeast Wyoming where the eclipse brought hoots and hollers from people gathered on a beach.

Nagy says he wasn’t real excited when his family first started talking about the eclipse, but the event itself surpassed his expectations.

He noted that even his two teenage daughters were excited about seeing it.

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11:17 a.m.

Boats, jet skis and inflatables are crowding into Glendo Reservoir in southeast Wyoming ahead of the total solar eclipse.

The water is slightly choppy but not hindering any of the eclipse boaters.

Campgrounds at the reservoir also are full of tents and RVs, many with telescopes to view the total eclipse that will pass over the area.

Ed Sullivan, of Richmond, Virginia, traveled to Wyoming to view the eclipse. He’s been interested in celestial events in the past, viewing Halley’s Comet some 30 years ago.

Sullivan says he enjoys the mystery.

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10:55 a.m.

Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming reports lots of people but no problems handling the crowd showing up for the total solar eclipse.

Spokeswoman Denise Germann says there was some traffic congestion but everyone is getting in and finding a place to park.

All backcountry camping permits have been claimed in the park ahead of the eclipse.

The park is just one of two national parks in the nation in the path of the total eclipse.

In order to handle the crowd of people, Grand Teton waived its entrance fees for the day.

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8:31 a.m.

The weather is cooperating and people are streaming into Wyoming to get a view of the total solar eclipse.

Mostly sunny skies across the state should provide eclipse viewers with a mostly unobstructed view of the event.

The Wyoming Department of Transportation reports heavy traffic Monday morning heading north through Cheyenne.

The agency says traffic started picking up in the Cheyenne area at around 3 a.m.

At times, Cheyenne was looking more like Denver with traffic congestion along Interstate 25.

The path of totality, when the moon completely blocks out the sun, starts about 70 miles north of Cheyenne. The path will move across the state, starting in Jackson Hole, passing over Casper and then exiting in the Torrington area.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the total solar eclipse here

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