Minnesota Adding 16 Truck Parking Spots Along Interstate 94
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Minnesota will add 16 truck parking spots at two eastbound rest areas along Interstate 94 in an $81.5 million package of projects to improve the state’s freight network and address truck parking issues.
Truck parking enhancements will be made in four of 15 projects announced March 14 by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in an effort to strengthen freight mobility, safety, intermodal connections, and first- and last-mile freight capabilities throughout the state.
To be spent from the 2026-28 fiscal years, the funding is being provided by the Minnesota Highway Freight Program, which invests in road, port, airport and railroad projects.
With 677 public truck parking spots in 51 locations, MnDOT is the largest single provider of truck parking spaces in the state. It awarded two grants to expand truck parking on I-94, which is a key east-west freight route connecting Montana to Michigan.
Andrusko
The Enfield Rest Area (at mile marker 187 between Clearwater and Monticello) will see its parking space area for 17 trucks expanded with nine additions in a $2.7 million project.
Also currently with 17 truck parking places, the Big Spunk Lake Rest Area (located southeast of Albany and 1.5 miles west of the Avon interchange) was allocated $3.4 million to create seven truck parking spaces.
In another truck parking project, MnDOT will spend $300,000 to update its 2019 Statewide Truck Parking Study “to provide data to align with an upcoming update to the national Jason’s Law Truck Parking Survey. MnDOT is currently beginning the scoping phase for this project and is targeting late 2026 to complete the study,” Andrew Andrusko, director of freight and railroad planning in MnDOT’s Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations, told Transport Topics.
When asked why truck parking featured prominently among the freight projects, Andrusko explained: “MnDOT recognizes that we cannot solve the national shortage alone, we are continuing to work with partners from across sectors to help address truck parking needs.”
MnDOT also will allocate $550,000 to its statewide Truck Parking Information and Management System replacement project.
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“This project will provide funding for the replacement of parking sensors and detection systems at six rest areas that have TPIMS installed currently. MnDOT is exploring other potential Intelligent Transportation Systems solutions to reduce costs and improve equipment longevity while maintaining access to the system. MnDOT completed a survey in 2019 that showed that over 57% of truck drivers found the TPIMS system to be helpful in finding truck parking in Minnesota,” Andrusko said.
Before selecting the winning 15 freight improvement projects, MnDOT officials analyzed 24 applications seeking a total of $158 million. Each project was evaluated for key freight data, proposed project benefits and project readiness.
The largest grants for $10.8 million each went to Sherburne County to improve rural safety and mobility on U.S. Route 169 and County Road 4, Carver County for increased safety on State Highway 5, Scott County for a freight improvement project, the City of Coon Rapids to enhance a State Highway 610 interchange at East River Road and MnDOT’s District 7 to revitalize U.S. Route 169 in the Mankato area.
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