Safety concerns raised when truck drivers park at I-81 rest areas

IRONTO, Va.- – A Southwest Virginia delegate is raising safety concerns through a social media post this week. Delegate Chris Hurst said he's tired of seeing a large amount of trucks filling up rest areas along I-81.

Busy rest areas like the one in Ironto are a growing concern for Hurst. This is the tweet he put out this week. It reads in part, "This. is. crazy. Each night after sundown, trucks are lined as far as the eye can see."

Hurst said it's a safety problem and wants to get the conversation started on how to fix the issue.

"That is good that we make sure our truck drivers are rested and healthy. But we don't accommodate them to try to achieve their goal. So they're forced to go to these rest areas. Oftentimes we'll have trucks there on the shoulder to a half a mile before and after the exit," said Hurst. 

"It's getting to be a situation that's hard for everybody. Because you have your logs and you got to get off the road at a certain time and you have a certain amount of time you can drive. And the parking places are just filled up, there's not enough places," said Harold Laster, truck driver. 

Hurst said he doesn't know what it will take to relieve some of the congestion but he welcomes ideas from truck drivers to take back to other lawmakers in Richmond.