Truck Drivers May Be Asking Themselves That Question What Are All Those New Lights

NY DOT, Jan 27, 2005

What are all those new lights doing in the parking area along the Interstate?
Truck drivers may be asking themselves that question as they approach the newly renovated parking area along I-81 northbound at Kirkwood, just north of the New York State and Pennsylvania border.

The lights are part of the permanent truck inspection station established at a parking area that was scheduled to be abandoned upon completion of the Gateway Information Center just north of this site. Instead
of closing the area, the NYSDOT decided to convert the facility to a full-time truck inspection site.

This is the first of a number of sites that may be converted for truck inspection purposes along I-81 between the Pennsylvania and Canadian borders. Whenever a site is scheduled for closure along the I-81 corridor, the NYSDOT will examine its potential use for truck inspection purposes and if it appears practical, the site will be converted.

Similar to the Kirkwood site, new inspection sites will include advance signs with flashing beacons to provide drivers with sufficient notice to safely decelerate and enter the site. The deceleration and acceleration lanes will be lengthened to move truck traffic safely.
 
Use of dedicated sites for truck inspections will minimize inconvenience to the traveling public. Each site will utilize concrete barriers which will separate the moving trucks from the actual inspection lanes. Additionally, ample overhead lighting has been installed at the Kirkwood site to promote safety, and phones will be available for truck drivers.

The NYSDOT’s objective is to increase the number of locations where inspections can be performed safely and efficiently both day and night. Performing increased nighttime inspections will enable the NYSDOT to look at other segments of the trucking industry and inspect vehicles we might not otherwise see.

While the Kirkwood site is the first permanent truck inspection facility in the state, the NYSDOT does use portable lights to perform nighttime inspections at other rest area locations. The next time you see the glow of
lights further down the road, please exercise caution and be prepared. It may just be our inspectors working at night.