Press Releases

ARKANSAS — October 14, 2026… Today, House Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack (AR-3) announced that the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) is set to receive a $23 million grant to design and construct truck parking infrastructure in Crawford County along the future segment of I-49. The grant is part of the Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects (INFRA) program.

Chairman Womack’s THUD appropriations bill funds the Department of Transportation, including the INFRA program. In his Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 and 2027 THUD appropriations bills, Chairman Womack allocated $200 million to address the national truck parking shortage. The I-49 truck parking project is one of fourteen projects across 12 states awarded INFRA program Track 2 funding to build safe and accessible commercial truck parking infrastructure. 

Chairman Womack said, “Truckers are the cornerstone of our interstate commerce. We depend on these hardworking men and women to transport goods and fuel across our country, keeping store shelves stocked and gas tanks filled. A lack of adequate truck parking nationwide puts a strain on drivers, creates safety risks for the traveling public, and jeopardizes our supply chain. This is why I prioritized funding to build truck parking infrastructure in my transportation appropriations bill for two consecutive years. Our truck drivers should not have to worry about finding a safe place to park, no matter where they are. I’m proud that future truckers traveling along I-49 in Crawford County will have that peace of mind, building on the generational benefits that this new interstate segment brings to the River Valley.”

ARDOT Director Jared Wiley said, “Congressman Womack’s leadership in transportation funding has benefited the Arkansas Department of Transportation and the citizens of the Natural State for many years. His efforts at the national level have ensured that $200 million in vital funding is dedicated to much-needed truck parking infrastructure across the country in both fiscal years 2026 and 2027. With Womack’s support, Arkansas was able to secure a $23 million INFRA grant that will pave the way for a new rest area and truck parking facility along future Interstate 49 in Crawford County between the Gun Club Road and Clear Creek Road interchanges. This grant award will help bolster efforts by a wide array of transportation professionals who understand the value of safe and predictable parking for those who keep our economy moving.”

Background: ARDOT will receive $23,024,000 to complete the final design and construction of a new safety rest area and truck parking facility along future I-49 in Crawford County, Arkansas, between the Gun Club Road and Clear Creek Road interchanges. The facility will feature dedicated parking infrastructure accommodating approximately 137 trucks and approximately 49 passenger vehicles. Additionally, the project includes construction of northbound and southbound access ramps, internal one-way circulation roadways, stormwater detention ponds, site utilities, and lighting.

Chairman Womack has secured $21 million in Community Project Funding for the construction of the 14-mile Alma to Barling segment of I-49, including $18 million in FY 2022 and $3 million in FY 2026. With Chairman Womack’s support, ARDOT received a $25 million USDOT RAISE grant in 2024 for the project.

See the full list of awards HERE.

Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) has represented Arkansas’s Third Congressional District since 2011. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

womack.house.gov

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