Florida adds over 900 truck parking spaces on I‑4 to cut safety risks

Florida is expanding truck parking along the Interstate 4 freight corridor with more than 900 new spaces, backed by a $180 million federal INFRA grant. The move targets severe capacity shortages that force drivers to park illegally on highway shoulders or vacant lots, creating safety hazards. Demand for truck parking in parts of the state exceeds 150%, with only about 90 public spaces serving roughly 18,000 daily trucks on I‑4. Construction begins this summer in Seminole and Volusia counties, with additional projects planned for Osceola and Orange counties in 2027. Federal and state officials emphasized the safety benefits of the expansion, noting that 40% of truckers must drive more than an hour daily searching for parking, leading to economic losses and dangerous roadside stops. The I‑4 corridor, which handles 95% of central Florida’s consumer goods and 75% of the state’s total freight, is one of Florida’s worst truck parking deficit zones. The project is funded through the U.S. Transportation Department’s Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects program, awarded during fiscal years 2023–24. FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue and FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs joined the groundbreaking, stressing that the new spaces will help drivers comply with rest regulations, reduce unsafe parking, and improve safety for all road users.