Columbus, Ohio On Tuesday, Governor Mike DeWine and his administration announced plans to construct 1,400 additional truck parking spots at 33 locations throughout Ohio along roads.
The program, which was funded with $150 million from the state transportation budget earlier this year, is a component of the governor’s continuous endeavors to lower the number of traffic accidents and enhance roadside facilities throughout the state.
According to a statement from DeWine, the number of trucks using Ohio’s interstate and state highways is increasing along with the state’s economy. We’re helping the folks who keep our economy going and making our roadways safer for everyone by increasing the number of accessible, safe rest areas for drivers.
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Three of the locations—in Lake, Medina, and Summit counties—are close to Cleveland.
According to the Ohio Department of Transportation and DeWine’s statement, each new parking location will have restrooms and lighting.
Ohio will have more long-term truck parking spots on state-owned property than any other state in the country once the project is finished, according to the state. There are currently 14,200 truck parking spots in Ohio, the majority of which are at privately operated truck stops or establishments.
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, as of 2021, Ohio has the third-highest interstate truck traffic of any U.S. state. In 2023, trucks traveled 27.5 million miles on Ohio roadways, the announcement stated. By 2045, ODOT predicts that the state’s truck freight volume will have grown by another 26%.
According to data from the National Safety Council, Ohio also had the eighth-highest number of fatal large truck crashes (167) out of all U.S. states in 2023. According to the statement, since 2015, sleepy semi-truck drivers have been responsible for 689 collisions in Ohio, resulting in 345 injuries and two fatalities.
The lack of truck parking spots has contributed to the issue. According to the American Trucking Associations, there is only one truck parking place for every eleven trucks on the road nationwide.
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According to the state, truck drivers who are unable to find parking frequently drive while fatigued or stop in dangerous locations like entrance and exit ramps and highway shoulders.
The 33 additional parking spaces will be situated in 19 Ohio counties, primarily adjacent to already-existing interchanges, rest areas, and weigh stations. The locations of the sites in Northeast Ohio will be:
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In Summit County, at rest areas along Interstate 271 north- and southbound, as well as at a vacant rest area along Interstate 77.
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In Medina County, along Interstate 71 at north- and southbound rest areas, as well as along Interstate 76 at an existing eastbound rest area and a vacant westbound rest area.
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In Lake County, along Interstate 90 at east- and westbound vacant rest areas.
According to the statement, the other new truck parking lots will be in the following counties: Franklin, Gallia, Guernsey, Henry, Mahoning, Ross, Warren, Wyandot, Auglaize, Belmont, Clermont, Fayette, Ashland, Ashtabula, Allen, and Gallia.
According to ODOT spokesperson Matt Bruning, the $150 million allocated for the new truck parking effort comes from both ODOT operational savings and the state’s motor fuel supplier tax.
The cost of the construction contracts to complete the work, which have not yet been given, will determine the project’s precise cost, Bruning stated.
Since the governor took office in 2019, ODOT and the DeWine administration have been working to make truck driving in the state safer. This is their most recent initiative.
neighboring projects include renovating over 30 highway rest spots, turning two abandoned rest areas and over a dozen unused weigh stations into truck parking spaces, and collaborating with neighboring states to provide truckers with real-time parking availability updates.
