18 Va rest areas now closed

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - The Virginia Department of Transportation has closed 18 rest areas across the state as part of a cost-cutting plan.

VDOT spokesman Jeff Caldwell says crews worked through the night to place orange barrels at entrance ramps of the rest stops to signal their closure. The final rest stops were expected to be blocked off by the end of Tuesday morning.

Seven rest stops along Interstate 81, four on I-95, four on I-85, two on I-64, and one on I-66 were targeted. The I-66 Welcome Center in Manassas will remain open through mid-September.

State transportation officials decided last month to close 19 of the state's 42 rest stops to help ease a $2.6 billion budget gap over the next six years. The rest-stop closings will save about $8.6 million.

VDOT released the following information regarding the closures:

VDOT crews will use orange barrels and cones to block the entrance ramps of rest areas overnight tonight. Those who are already in rest areas will be allowed to remain until they finish their rest. Once rest areas are clear of motorists, crews will block the exit ramps. VDOT will also change interstate signs to indicate that the rest areas are closed and will adjust signs that guide motorists to the next available facility. Electronic message signs will be used to give motorists advanced warning of the rest areas that are closed.

Crews will then begin disconnecting utilities, removing equipment, supplies and fixtures that can be reused in the 23 facilities that will remain open, and commence mothballing the closed facilities. It will take several weeks to permanently close the buildings and secure them for their long-term closure. Crews will install large metal gates across entrance and exit ramps as each facility is fully decommissioned.

The 18 rest areas slated to close include:

I-81 North Rural Retreat
I-81 South Smyth
I-81 North Radford
I-81 South Troutville
I-81 North Mt. Sidney
I-81 South Mt. Sidney
I-81 South New Market
I-95 North Ladysmith
I-95 South Ladysmith
I-95 North Dale City (cars)
I-95 South Dale City (cars)
I-66 East Manassas
I-64 East Goochland
I-64 West Goochland
I-85 North Dinwiddie
I-85 South Dinwiddie
I-85 North Alberta
I-85 South Alberta
VDOT will operate the I-66 West Manassas Welcome Center through the summer travel season, since it was the only welcome center impacted by these closures. VDOT will close the I-66 Welcome Center on Sept. 16, following the busy summer travel season.

Truck Parking Changes

In an effort to mitigate the impacts of these facility closings on trucks, VDOT will implement changes to its rest area truck parking restrictions on July 21. The agency will remove a number of no parking signs at the remaining 23 rest areas and welcome centers to provide more than 225 legal truck parking spaces. This will offset the total number of truck parking spaces lost at the closed facilities. VDOT will also remove signs that had restricted vehicles to two-hour parking limits.

Truck drivers will now be able to get their mandated 10-hours of rest in Virginia’s rest areas. New truck parking rules only limit parking for an entire overnight period. This means that trucks arriving in a rest area before sundown must leave the site prior to sunrise the following day. Those trucks arriving during the night or early morning hours must leave the site prior to sunrise the following full day.

VDOT Response to Transportation Revenue Shortfall

VDOT recommended in February a series of reductions to address a $2.6 billion revenue shortfall. These include reductions over the next six years of $2 billion to the construction program, $391 million to administrative and support programs), and $348 million in reductions to the maintenance and operations program. VDOT will also reduce staffing by 1,000 full-time employees and 450 part-time employees as it seeks to reduce costs and address business changes. The department collected feedback during 11 public meetings in March and early April. It then proposed final recommendations to the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) after considering public input and completing additional analysis.

The CTB finalized these decisions and adopted VDOT’s new $3.7 billion budget June 18. This triggered implementation of VDOT’s service cuts, including the rest area closures.

Related Links:

CLICK HERE for a map of the affected rest areas 

More about VDOT’s service reductions