Nearly 34,000 vehicles pass through Exit 7 and Exit 11 on Interstate 70 in Terra Haute, Ind., daily, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Additionally, 724 million tons of freight travel across I-70 in Indiana annually, making it the fifth-busiest state for commercial truck traffic.
By 2040, freight volume is expected to increase by 60 percent.
Providing safe truck parking is among the objectives of a 10-year plan to improve interstate rest areas and welcome centers statewide.
The recent completion of the Clear Creek welcome center, located along eastbound I-70, will add 78 more truck parking spaces, increasing the total capacity to 128.
“The goal of INDOT’s overall plan is to provide safe, informative locations for travelers to rest, relax, and recharge,” INDOT Commissioner Lyndsay Quist said. “In addition to Clear Creek, we’re looking forward to opening the Black River welcome center on I-64 in Posey County later this year.”
The welcome center near Terra Haute replaces the previous facility built in 1992. It now has recreation areas, a dog park, interactive exhibits and more.
“The new Clear Creek welcome center showcases Indiana’s deep roots in racing and provides a warm welcome for travelers entering the crossroads of America,” said Gov. Mike Braun.
In all, the Indiana Department of Transportation plans to invest more than $600 million at rest areas and add more than 1,200 truck parking spaces throughout the state.
This would double the state’s truck parking capacity.
A truck parking facility off Interstate 65 in Boone County, one of the locations in INDOT’s plan, recently reopened with 150 truck parking spaces and modernized facilities.
“This is progress toward helping alleviate parking shortages faced by the freight and logistics industries across the state,” Quist said.
Other states have also announced more truck parking at rest areas.
A facility in Sparta, Wis., has reopened with more than four times the truck parking capacity and a staging area for oversize/overweight vehicles.
In Pennsylvania, 133 locations have been designated for additional truck parking, with the Pennsylvania Turnpike potentially adding even more. LL
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