A total of 200 new truck parking spaces recently opened along Interstate 80 in Wyoming.
The parking spaces will improve safety during winter and will allow safe and efficient freight movement.
“Supply chain issues are critical for our economy,” Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt said at a ceremony commemorating the opening. “Truck parking shortages make our roads less safe and the movement of goods to market less efficient. Today we’re addressing the problem on two fronts – by adding new parking capacity so truckers on I-80 have a safe place to rest and by expanding the data available on freight movement so state and local agencies can be better equipped to understand and plan for truck parking needs.”
Wyoming’s I-80 Winter Freight Improvement Project includes two truck parking areas on I-80 between Laramie and Rawlins, providing 100 truck parking spaces each, and the construction of approximately 5.5 miles of passing lanes.
The U.S. Department of Transportation contributed $27.7 million toward the project, including a $20 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development grant.
It is estimated that by 2050, U.S. freight activity will grow by approximately 78 percent, reaching $36 trillion, and trucks will be the single most-used mode for transporting freight.