The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) has been awarded a $23 million federal grant to develop a rest area and truck parking facility along the future Interstate 49 corridor in Crawford County. The funding, provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation through its Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highways Projects (INFRA) program, will support the final design and construction of the facility.
The proposed rest area is planned between the Gun Club Road and Clear Creek Road interchanges. It will include parking for more than 130 trucks and approximately 50 passenger vehicles. Additional features will consist of northbound and southbound access ramps, internal roadways, parking areas, and lighting. ARDOT Director Jared Wiley explained that, without this federal funding, the project would have faced significant delays.
U.S. Representative Steve Womack of Arkansas' 3rd Congressional District, who has advocated for funding truck parking infrastructure for two consecutive years, stressed the national importance of expanding such facilities. Womack cited the ongoing shortage of truck parking spaces as a safety hazard for drivers and the traveling public, as well as a potential risk to supply chain operations.
The new rest area will form part of the larger I-49 corridor in the River Valley region. This project is among several efforts to improve infrastructure and address the growing demand for safe and accessible truck parking nationwide.