TxDOT is adding 103 new truck parking spaces for $12M

A rest stop in central Texas will soon see more than 100 more truck parking spaces thanks to a $12M project by the Texas Department of Transportation. 

The project will add 103 new truck parking spaces to rest areas in Salado, Texas between Austin and Waco. 

Officials say the rest area should be complete by the end of 2025, and will cost around $12 million. The southbound rest area will feature 51 added truck parking spaces and the northbound rest area will feature 52 added truck parking spaces, both along Interstate 35.

Until the project is completed, truck drivers like Zachary Adams say they often plan ahead and think creatively to ensure they have a safe place to sleep when it’s time to rest. 

“A lot of times, I’d call the customer to see if I could stop there and sleep, or where I got loaded, stay there. I try to plan my trips around the truck stops,” said Adam. “[They add rest stops] So people can get their sleep while they’re driving. If you’re driving tired, there’s a chance you can hit a car. A lot of times, they’re stopping on the rest area, on the shoulder. A car is going off, half asleep, and hits the back end of the truck,” said Adam to KWTX.

Jake Smith, the public information officer for TxDOT’s Waco district, says that the added parking will also increase safety for motorists by keeping tired truckers off the road and giving them a safe place to park that doesn’t create a public hazard. 

“Driver fatigue can be dangerous. It can cause crashes, it can impact the way you make your decisions. We highly encourage everyone to utilize these safety rest areas that TxDOT has,” Smith said.