Arizona DOT plans to expand truck parking along interstates

The Arizona Department of Transportation has made public its intention to add more truck parking.

In a news release, ADOT said it wants to eventually add more than 800 parking spaces at 10 locations throughout the Grand Canyon State.

Arizona officials began gathering feedback from the trucking industry in September 2020 and now are asking the public for input.

Comments will be accepted through Dec. 19. They can be submitted using an online form, by emailing mpdplanning@azdot.gov, by calling the ADOT project information line at 855-712-8530 or by mailing input to:

Nancy Becerra

c/o ADOT Communications

1655 W. Jackson St., MD 126F

Phoenix, AZ 85007

🚚 Input wanted: Commercial truck parking plan 🚚
ADOT wants your input on the plan for new truck-parking spaces along Arizona interstates. Critical areas include I-10 Burnt Wells Rest Area near Tonopah.

See the complete plan and provide input here: https://t.co/aFtRisKPKl pic.twitter.com/69pIxh2lqh

— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) December 5, 2023

“ADOT recommends the additional parking based on demand at existing rest areas and where undesignated truck parking occurs,” the news release said. “Other factors include cost, ease of implementation and input from the trucking industry.”

The plan will initially add nearly 400 spaces at what ADOT is calling critical locations:

• Interstate 10 Burnt Wells Rest Area near Tonopah (103 spaces)
• Interstate 40 Meteor Crater Rest Area near Winslow (140 spaces)
• A new I-10/State Route 186 safe lot just west of Willcox (127 spaces)

$32 million in funding through the National Highway Freight Program is currently available and will be dedicated to the above three sites, ADOT said.

As more funding is made available, ADOT’s truck parking plan will put it toward additional new parking at the following sites:

• I-40 Crazy Creek, a new safe lot about 35 miles east of Holbrook (176 spaces)
• I-10 Ehrenberg Rest Area (51 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)
• Interstate 8 Mohawk Rest Area (22 spaces)

In addition, ADOT is in the process of expanding parking at several rest areas. That $18 million project also was funded through the National Highway Freight Program. Those sites include the Haviland and Parks rest areas on Interstate 40 as well as the Christensen, McGuireville and Sunset Point rest areas on Interstate 17.

Full details of the ADOT truck parking plan are available here.

Nationwide discussion

The National Coalition on Truck Parking met earlier this week to address the current state of truck parking in terms of safety, funding and technology.

OOIDA was among the stakeholders providing perspective from within the trucking industry.

“The biggest challenge is getting this issue to the top of lawmakers’ priority list and getting them to dedicate the time and political capital to move this forward,” said Bryce Mongeon, OOIDA’s director of legislative affairs. LL

More Land Line coverage of truck parking.