Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Feb. 28, 2025:
‘Unusual conditions’: I-40 one lane in each direction Saturday
I-40 in western North Carolina is reopening Saturday with one lane in each direction.NCDOT
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is reopening Interstate 40 on Saturday for the first time since Hurricane Helene washed out a section of the interstate in September.
NCDOT and contract crews have stabilized the remaining westbound lanes and prepared them to provide one lane of traffic in each direction.
“We are happy to have this open for the people who depend on a connected transportation system between North Carolina and Tennessee,” NCDOT Division 14 Engineer Wanda Payne said. “This opening improves the flow of people, goods and services between our two states and between locations far beyond Haywood County.”
Combined with the restoration efforts in Tennessee, the one-lane stretch extends approximately 12 miles from Cold Springs Creek Road (Exit 7) in North Carolina to Big Creek Road (Exit 447) in Tennessee.
On the North Carolina side, drivers heading through the Pigeon River Gorge corridor should expect “unusual conditions” for interstate travel, NCDOT noted:
- Narrowed lanes with reduced shoulders
- A reduced speed limit of 35 mph
- A 9-inch by 9-inch concrete curb separating traffic
- Periodic breaks to provide EMS access
- Emergency-only lane on the eastbound side
- Standard 18-wheelers allowed; no wide loads
Transportation officials anticipate there will be delays passing through the gorge due to these unique conditions -- and even more so during heavy travel periods which have traditionally been Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and holiday weekends.
Drivers should consider the alternate route of I-26 from Asheville to Kingsport, Tennessee, then I-81 South to I-40, NCDOT said.
Drivers of standard tractor-trailers should note that while they will be allowed to travel on I-40 through the gorge, there are no alternate routes available for them beyond Exit 20 (U.S. 276) despite some GPS devices and mobile phone apps suggesting they can take an exit in the gorge.
Wide loads must utilize I-77 and I-81 to travel between the two states.
[Related: Multiyear I-24 bridge project begins next week with lane reductions]
Truck parking funding bill resurfaces in Congress
A bipartisan group of lawmakers Thursday, Feb. 27, reintroduced legislation that would address the shortage of truck parking across the United States.
U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-Illinois) reintroduced the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act in the House Thursday, along with Reps. Angie Craig (D-Minnesota), Pete Stauber (R-Minnesota) and Salud Carbajal (D-California).
Bost noted that the legislation “addresses the dangerous, nationwide shortage in safe, accessible parking spaces for large commercial trucks by providing U.S. Department of Transportation funding on a competitive basis for the construction of new lots and spaces.”
While the text of the reintroduced legislation was not immediately available, previous iterations of the bill would have authorized $755 million in grant funding for parking projects.
“I grew up in a family trucking business,” said Bost. “I know firsthand how difficult, and oftentimes dangerous, it can be when America’s truckers are forced to push that extra mile in search of a safe place to park. By expanding access to parking options for truckers, we are making our roads safer for all commuters and ensuring that goods and supplies are shipped to market in the most efficient way possible. This is a matter of public safety for everyone.”
Trucking organizations have long supported efforts to pass the legislation. Todd Spencer, President of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said the “lack of safe truck parking has been a top concern of truckers for decades,” adding that “when truckers don’t have a safe place to park, we are put in a no-win situation. We must either continue to drive while fatigued or out of legal driving time, or park in an undesignated and unsafe location like the side of the road or abandoned lot. It forces truck drivers to make a choice between safety and following federal hours of service rules.”
American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear said addressing truck parking is “one of the most meaningful ways Congress can show its support for America’s professional truck drivers. … The chronic lack of truck parking poses an unacceptable risk to both truckers and the nation’s motoring public. Congress must step in to provide a solution.”
Both groups highlighted the fact that for every 11 truck drivers on the road, there is just one parking spot.
[Related: Get in where you fit in: Truck parking-friendly Hotels4Truckers]
Driver stops to assist at crash, administers CPR
The Truckload Carriers Association has named Dedicated Transportation Solutions truck driver Donovan Collins, from Deport, Texas, a Highway Angel for stopping to help during an early morning crash and administering CPR.
Donovan CollinsTCA
“I saw him about 30 yards out,” said Collins. “I barely scraped past him.”
Without hesitation, he immediately activated his hazards, parked his truck, called 911, and ran to the wrecked car.
“I ran over with a flashlight to see who was in the car,” he said. “A guy was just lying there, not moving.”
Collins, a Navy veteran, pulled the driver to safety, removing him from harm’s way as he spoke to the 911 operator. He then performed CPR on the crash victim until emergency responders arrived.
“I stopped because I know what it’s like to be in an accident and have no one stop to help,” said Collins. “Everyone else was driving by like they didn’t have a care in the world.”
