PHOENIX — To address the growing demand for commercial truck parking along state highways, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has developed a statewide truck parking plan that recommends expanding parking at existing rest areas and three new facilities.
After gathering feedback from the trucking industry, ADOT is seeking public input as transportation planners look to construct 842 truck parking spaces in 10 locations along interstates in areas with the greatest needs, according to a news release.
These locations are along interstates 10, 40 and 8, and are at existing rest areas and three proposed “safe lots” that would provide parking only for commercial trucks.
ADOT recommends the additional parking based on demand at existing rest areas and where undesignated truck parking occurs. Other factors include cost, ease of implementation and input from the trucking industry.
The sites prioritized for additional parking are:
- The I-10 Burnt Wells Rest Area near Tonopah, 103 spaces.
- The I-40 Meteor Crater Rest Area near Winslow, 140 spaces.
- A new I-10/State Route 186 safe lot just west of Willcox, 127 spaces.
- I-40 Crazy Creek, a new safe lot about 35 miles east of Holbrook, 176 spaces.
- I-10 Ehrenberg Rest Area, 53 spaces.
- I-10 San Simon Rest Area, 80 spaces.
- I-10 Bouse Wash Rest Area, 55 spaces.
- I-40 Seligman, a new safe lot, 72 spaces.
- I-10 Sacaton Rest Area, 20 spaces.
- I-8 Mohawk Rest Area, 16 spaces.
The plan recommends first adding parking to three critical locations — Burnt Wells, Meteor Crater and a new safe lot near Willcox — based on the $32 million in funding currently available through the National Highway Freight Program. Parking at the additional seven locations could be added as ADOT seeks future funding.
The additional parking would be in addition to current projects that are expanding parking at five rest areas, funded by the National Highway Freight Program.
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
