In The News

Indiana to close 5 rest stops

Indiana will close five rest stops in January, including on Interstate 70 as a cost-saving measure, but specific dates haven’t been announced.


The Indiana Department of Transportation will close the I-70 eastbound rest park at mile marker 144 in late January, which is expected to save taxpayers an annual $147,132. The westbound rest area will remain open and be replaced with a more modern facility in a few years.


IDOT will close the I-74 eastbound and westbound Waynetown rest areas at mile marker 24 in late January, which will save an annual $370,000.


It will close the I-69 southbound Flat Creek rest park at mile marker 92 and both U.S. 30 east and westbound Arcola rest areas at mile marker 123 in mid-January. Officials said these parks are at least 30 years old and are high maintenance; they cost $500,000 annually to operate. New Pipe Creek rest areas on north and southbound I-69 provide “higher functioning facilities” offering “greater services,” the department said in a release.


When Indiana’s interstates were first constructed, rest areas provided services amid expanses of undeveloped land and since then, private companies have opened businesses in these areas. IDOT regularly evaluates the state’s 30 rest areas and six welcome centers based upon customer demand, maintenance costs and proximity to similar public or private facilities.