The Maryland Department of Transportation (DOT) State Highway Administration announced that construction has started on a rest area project to give truckers more access to safe parking spaces.
On September 19, officials announced that work is officially underway at the I-70 (Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway) South Mountain Welcome Center near Myersville, Maryland.
As part of the $8.1 million project, crews will add 25 new truck parking spaces to the eastbound rest area and 10 new truck parking spaces to the westbound rest area.
Currently, the eastbound and westbound rest stops offer a total of 49 truck parking spaces. Following the completion of the project, they will offer a combined total of 74 truck parking spaces.
The project is targeted for completion by the end of 2025.
Maryland DOT chose this location for the truck parking upgrades following a 2020 study that showed that the I-70 South Mountain Welcome Center has the highest proportion of trucks parked more than eight hours in Maryland and is often at capacity in the truck rest areas.
“America is facing an increasing shortage of truck parking, according to studies by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The lack of safe and accessible facilities for commercial vehicles and drivers is a significant challenge for every state. Inadequate truck parking can result in trucks parked in unsafe locations and drivers operating beyond their hours of service,” Maryland DOT said in a news release.