Texas Opens Two I-10 Rest Areas With Parking for 116 Trucks
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The Texas Department of Transportation has replaced a pair of rest areas near Van Horn on Interstate 10 that now boast two of its largest commercial vehicle parking areas to accommodate a total of 116 trucks.
The new facilities sit 9 miles from Van Horn on I-10 both east and west and replace former rest areas that were 4 miles outside Van Horn, Lauren Macias-Cervantes, TxDOT spokesperson, told Transport Topics.
“The facilities are also two of the largest with 58 truck and 27 car parking spaces on each side for a total of 116 truck parking spaces,” she added. “The former locations will transition to truck parking facilities.”
Van Horn sits at a crossroads for U.S. Route 90 (which serves the inland port of Presidio and Ojinaga, Mexico) and Texas State Highway 54 that connects to Carlsbad, N.M.
The rest areas contain information about the location near a historic stagecoach route in the vicinity of the Butterfield Overland Mail Trail Route. (TxDOT)
Millions of dollars in freight primarily carried by trucks moves along Culberson County and the others in the Presidio border crossing area, according to TxDOT.
TxDOT strategically locates its 76 safety rest areas in important spots along its highway system “to help drivers fight fatigue by enticing them to stop, rest and enjoy amenities before continuing with their trips,” Macias-Cervantes said. “In this particular case, data shows fatigue or falling asleep and speeding are contributing factors in roadway and lane departure crashes in the area.”
She noted that driver fatigue is a major cause of serious traffic crashes across Texas.
The Van Horn rest areas opened June 1. (TxDOT)
“Amenities at the two Culberson County safety rest areas include Wi-Fi, restrooms, vending machines, walking trails, a tornado shelter, educational displays, power sources/working space, plenty of parking and safety lighting. There is also a law enforcement room available for regional law enforcement use and shaded picnic and playground areas,” Macias-Cervantes said.
The rest areas also contain information about the location near a historic stagecoach route. It is in the vicinity of the Butterfield Overland Mail Trail Route in Culberson County, Texas, which was a key point along a southern route linking Fort Smith, Ark., to San Francisco during the days of the Wild West. Van Horn was named for Lt. James Judson Van Horn, who commanded a cavalry station post there in the 1860s.
“We will be building another new facility in Fort Hancock that will also include the same amenities for commercial trucks,” Macias-Cervantes said.
Also along I-10 and a Texas-Mexico land port of entry, Fort Hancock is located between Van Horn (67 miles away) and El Paso (about 50 miles northwest).
Trevino noted the importance of having safe truck parking in the area. (TxDOT)
In the near future, these safety rest areas will form part of the I-10 Truck Parking Availability System to provide truckers with real-time information on public truck parking sites along I-10.
When the Van Horn rest areas opened June 1, Tomas Trevino, TxDOT El Paso district engineer, addressed the importance of having safe truck parking in the area.
“As someone who drives the I-10 corridor frequently, I am especially excited about the additional spaces for commercial vehicles that I often see parked in widened areas of the interstate or along access ramps,” Trevino noted.
While there are walking paths around the new Van Horn rest area facilities, TxDOT reminds visitors to be aware of the surrounding natural desert environment and watch for wildlife.
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