Pennsylvania's porta-potties, highway restrictions rankle truckers; state to reopen some rest stops

Ohio truck driver Paul Greene said the closure of restroom facilities at 17 Pennsylvania Turnpike service centers and PennDOT’s closure of welcome centers and rest areas was very much on his mind as he carried a duffel bag Wednesday into the Flying J truck stop in South Huntingdon.

“They’ve closed (restroom facilities) all across the state, except portable toilets now in the turnpike service areas. It’s nice having this facility,” said Greene, who was heading home after a two-day trip delivering dry ice.

His bag contained a change of clothes and toiletries for the last leg home to Greenville, Ohio, where Greene drives for Continental Carbonic Inc.

The turnpike commission announced fast-food service and indoor bathrooms were closed, effective Tuesday, at all 17 rest areas due to the coronavirus pandemic. Portable toilets were installed at all the plazas.

Fuel service and convenience stores will remain open.

The restroom facilities and showers were still available at the Flying J, which was still bustling with truckers fueling and stopping in the convenience store to buy food and drink.

On its Facebook page, Pilot Flying J said all of its locations will remain open.

Mike Selinger, a California truck driver, was happy to find a hot sandwich and cold soda being offered via takeout at the Denny’s Restaurant inside at the truck stop near Smithton.

“It’s usually a sit-down restaurant, and I walked up and it was really dark inside like it was closed. But the door was still open, so I walked in and the lady said it was now takeout only and I’d have to wait outside for my order, but I still got something to eat,” said Selinger, who was driving to Illinois to await word on where to go next.

“Supplies and services are really drying up for us. Not just here in Pennsylvania, but everywhere.”

Selinger said he called his wife, who suggested he may want to stock up on water and snacks.

“I stopped at another Flying J before this one, and they were completely out of water,” he said. “People were hoarding. They were buying more than one case at a time.”

Andrew Bachhofer, a trucker from St. Louis, was hauling meat from a Missouri plant to the Manchester area in central Pennsylvania. He said services for truckers along major highways are becoming limited across the country.

Bachhofer said he heard radio headlines about possible restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic and stopped at the Flying J. He was surprised to find the convenience store and restrooms still open.

“I’m also going to fill up with gas every stop now because I do not want stranded anywhere. That’s what I’m worried will happen next,” Bachhofer said.

Drivers contend the closures were preventing them from having parking sites for sleeping and denied them access to sanitary facilities. The closures were making the job of the haulers more difficult as they keep goods flowing during the pandemic, truckers said.

After complaints from truck drivers and legislators, PennDOT on Wednesday afternoon began a partial rollback of some rest stop restrictions. They agency said it planned to reopen at least 13 of 30 closed rest stops by Thursday morning. At least five portable restroom facilities will be available at each stop.

“In order to prevent further spread of covid-19, we will not be opening any of the indoor facilities because there is no staff to keep them clean and properly sanitized,” said PennDOT spokeswoman Jennifer Kuntch. “We will continue to evaluate and will determine whether additional rest areas can be reopened.”

Rest stops to be reopened on a limited basis are on Interstate 81 in Luzerne and Cumberland counties; I-80 in Venango, Centre and Montour counties; and I-79 in Crawford County and northbound only in Allegheny County.

In an interview Tuesday, turnpike spokeswoman Roseanne Placey said the commission was aware of complaints about the closures. She noted the outdoor facilities will be sanitized twice a day and each plaza will have two hand-washing stations.

Meanwhile, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said the closures sent the wrong message to millions of truck drivers. The group criticized the decisions by the turnpike commission and PennDOT, saying the moves could jeopardize the safety of truck drivers during the national emergency.

“We are extremely disappointed by policies like the closure of rest areas, which demonstrate a lack of understanding of truckers’ needs and a worrisome disregard for their personal safety among states,” OOIDA President and CEO Todd Spencer wrote to state and federal transportation officials.

State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, a Butler County Republican, also was critical. He said he was hoping the state would restore full truck driver access to all state rest areas.

“Our truck drivers who are transporting life-saving and life-sustaining supplies across America deserve far better than unsanitary port-a-potties from the governor and his well-paid, taxpayer-funded staff,” Metcalfe said in a statement. “I am demanding that the Wolf administration get back to work and fully restore essential water, bathroom and food services to America’s unstoppable truck drivers.”