VDOT plan under fire

Truckers at the "154" said times are tough on the road, and Virginia's plan to close 25 rest areas across the state will hurt even more.

Most of the drivers at the Dale City truck rest stop and weight scales along Interstate 95 call themselves "over the road" drivers. And they say they look forward to stopping for a break at the "154" mile marker, their name for the rest area.

One of those truckers this week was hauling fruits and vegetables from the Deep South to New England. Another was taking a load of furniture from North Carolina to the western U.S.

Both said that if they have no place to stop after 11 hours of straight driving, the roads will become even more dangerous.

"It's a bad idea any way you look at it," said Steve Wamsley, 50, a driver for nearly 30 years. "Truck stops and their restaurants are closing all across the country and now they want to close this?"

Federal regulations require truckers to pull off the road for at least 10 hours after driving 11 straight.

Some admittedly push it up to 14 hours, driving during the three hours they are supposed to be using as downtime to eat and relax.

The Dale City truck stop is one of 25 rest areas across the state that the Virginia Department of Transportation is looking to close.

The closures will hit both truck and car rest areas.

The move would save the agency an estimated $21 million in light of a projected $2.6 billion shortfall for the next year.

Other stops in the Northern Virginia area include the car rest areas at Dale City and a state Welcome Center near Manassas.

VDOT said these locations were chosen because of their proximity to urban areas.

Wamsley, who lives in Jacksonville, Fla., said the amount of freight he carries has gotten smaller by the day, forcing him to drive as much as he can to make a living.

He gets paid 43 cents per mile, with most of it going to support his 9-year-old son in Jacksonville.

"I don't know if I am going to be able to make my mortgage payment this month," said Wam-sley.

Mike Stout, a 43-year-old trucker from upstate New York, owns his own truck and said he is living his dream as a driver.

"I buy a lot of gas in Virginia. But if this happens, I guess I'm going to have to stop bringing [business] into Virginia and will stop [buying anything] here," said Stout, who was taking a load of cantaloupes from Tampa to New Jersey.

If the stops do close, one of the only other places truck drivers can pull over for a break is on highway exit ramps.

Many said that is a dangerous practice and is something police regularly ticket.

VDOT will hold a hearing April 1 at Fairfax City Hall for both truckers and residents to sound off on the proposed closings. This is the only scheduled meeting in the Northern Virginia area.

Residents will also be able to comment on nearly $100 million of other proposed service cuts, including reducing motorist safety patrols, ferry hours and mowing along highways.

Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.