Beginning April 23, 10 highway weigh stations across Virginia including Carson in Prince George County will double as rest areas for tractor-trailer drivers

PRINCE GEORGE The weigh station on Interstate 95 in Carson is quiet now, but come April 23, it is going to be temporarily re-purposed as more than just a place to determine how heavy or light a truck is.

The state Department of Motor Vehicles announced Thursday that Carson and nine other stations in Virginia will double as a place for tractor-trailer drivers to park and get some rest.

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic last month, the state suspended operations at all 13 weigh stations in Virginia until April 23. DMV said it recommended setting up the rest space upon reopening at 10 of those stations as a way to support truckers who continue through the crisis.

"We recognize that these are unusual times for tractor trailer drivers hauling goods in Virginia and across the nation with the industry working around the clock to deliver food and emergency supplies to those who desperately need them," DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb said in a statement. "We applaud their efforts and are proud to offer a place of refuge in this critical time."

Opening these weigh stations adds another 246 truck spaces that will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to commercial drivers, according to DMV. You may see some portable road signs along the side of the road over the next few weeks, where the Virginia Department of Transportation and DMV are signaling to commercial drivers that there is an increase in rest space.

"The trucking industry is a vital link in our countrys supply chain," Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine said in a statement. "During these unprecedented times, we are especially grateful to these men and women serving on the front lines, and we are proud to help in any way we can."

Carson, at mile-marker 39, and Dumfries, at mile-marker 154 in northern Virginia, are the only I-95 stations serving dual purposes.

Other rest stops are being set up at stations in Sandston and Suffolk, and at locations in southwestern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.

In addition to creating more rest space, DMV also announced an extension to June 30 for commercial drivers licenses that were set to expire after March 1. Hazardous materials endorsements are also being extended to July 31.

DMV has also notified administrators of the International Registration Plan (IRP) that Virginias waiver of registration and licensing requirements for motor carriers and a waiver of normal weight and width restriction in response to the pandemic COVID-19 emergency has been extended until May 19, 2020.

To find out more pandemic-related information specific to CDL holders, visit DMVs website.

Sean Jones can be reached at 804-722-5172 or sjones@progress-index.com. On Twitter: @SeanJones_PI

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Virginia tips the scales toward trucker comfort - Progress Index