Federal grant paves way for nearly 400 truck parking spaces in Wyoming

Wyoming will be adding more truck parking spaces in the state after receiving a federal grant.

The Wyoming Department of Transportation recently found that it will receive nearly $27 million in federal funding through the Rural Surface Transportation Grant. That money will go toward a project to create 365 truck parking spaces along Interstate 80 in Evanston.

According to a new release, the city of Evanston can find itself flooded with trucks during a significant closure of I-80. Evanston is located in the southwest portion of the state near the Utah border.

“This is a crucial project for Wyoming,” Gov. Mark Gordon said in a statement. “It’s an investment in our road infrastructure that will help address pedestrian and vehicle safety hazards that occur when winter weather forces the closure of I-80. Importantly, it will alleviate the impacts to the community caused by hundreds of tractor-trailers seeking somewhere safe to park.”

Truck parking construction is expected to begin in spring 2026.

The Uinta County Senior Citizens Board also has committed to providing limited on-demand transit service to the truck parking areas, once constructed, to help manage truck congestion and help truck drivers reach critical services.

The Wyoming Association of General Contractors, Wyoming Trucking Association, City of Evanston, Uinta County and U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis expressed their support for the project. Lummis introduced the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act to the Senate in March. The bill aims to allocate $755 million in funding dedicated to the construction of new parking spaces.

This is not the first use of federal dollars for truck parking in the Equality State. In September, the Federal Highway Administration unveiled 200 new truck parking spaces along I-80 in Laramie. The U.S. Department of Transportation provided $27.7 million toward the project, including a $20 million grant from the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program.

States tapping into federal coffers

In addition to Wyoming, several other states have been utilizing federal resources to address their respective truck parking issues.

Earlier this month, the Arizona Department of Transportation announced plans to add more than 800 truck parking spaces at 10 locations throughout the state. Some of the necessary funding already has been secured through the National Highway Freight Program. ADOT plans to use about $32 million from that program for three of the sites. However, the state still needs another $74 million for the remaining seven sites.

In September, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited South Dakota to highlight federal investments in truck parking. One such investment was the creation of more parking spaces at the two Interstate 90 rest areas in Salem. That project was made possible by a federal grant program.

Just one day after Buttigieg’s South Dakota visit, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced more than $80 million in grant awards, including funding for truck parking. The High Priority grants include a 65% increase in funding for truck parking projects over last year and enhance critical efforts to support truck drivers and improve safety.

Federal funding was a big topic during the National Coalition on Truck Parking meeting held on Dec. 5.

Several transportation officials touted recent success in federal grants for parking projects, including one at the Port of Columbia in Louisiana that added 50 spaces for trucks.

However, some stakeholders believe more can be done with available federal funds. Darrin Roth, American Trucking Associations’ vice president of highway policy, said that although federal grants are being issued for truck parking for the first time, only a handful of applications have been approved.

“In addition, nearly all federal aid highway money is available for parking expansion,” Roth said. “It’s tens of billions of dollars. Yet again, only a small number of parking projects have been funded from formula dollars. I’m really interested in knowing what’s preventing states from utilizing these resources.” LL