Largest-capacity truck stop in U.S. opening near I-90 in West Dundee

The first phase of what developers say will be the largest-capacity truck stop in the United States is now open in the Chicago area.

The 30-acre site is off Interstate 90, just west of the Fox River in West Dundee. It opens at the end of the month.

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Finding a spot to park can be quite a challenge for many truck drivers. In Illinois, the American Trucking Association says there is one parking spot for every 11 trucks out on the road, and truckers say they frequently waste an hour a day searching for a spot to park.

"It's difficult and it can be expensive, so I'm sure as big as that lot's gonna be, I'm sure it's gonna be cheaper," truck driver Frank Sabol said.

It allows transportation companies to stage their trailers efficiently to serve the distribution centers.

The new truck stop site is located on the former Elgin landfill, which closed in the 1970s. The facility will eventually have 1,000 semi-truck parking spaces, which will add nearly 10% more spaces to the statewide total.

"Whether it's a single-owner operator with one truck that needs a place to store... to the largest fleets in the country," Outpost VP Pat Hardin said.

Drivers will have to book spots in the yard in advance. Company officials say the location of the yard, along the booming I-90 corridor from O'Hare Airport to Rockford, is key. New industrial development in the region is growing quickly, with much of that supporting e-commerce and the expectation of speedy delivery of products ordered online.

"It allows transportation companies to stage their trailers efficiently to serve the distribution centers," Hardin said.

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The truck yard is also expected to bring lots more trucks to the mostly industrial area. While that might provide an economic boost, some neighbors are concerned with the increase in truck traffic.

"I'm very concerned for the infrastructure of the little road right there and all the businesses affected by it," nearby resident Daniel Quinn said.

The parking is expected to open very soon, but they expect to add a maintenance facility, convenience store and office space by the spring.