Abandoned Rest Areas

[GCrites]

I think the I-275 pair closed in the late 2000s.

[Voyager75]

So what was the deal with this on I-20 East on the Louisiana/Mississippi border? Contractor build the LA Welcome Center on the wrong side and have to start over? But seriously was it going to be a weigh station or was Louisiana going to be neighborly and build a rest area for travelers leaving the state and save Mississippi from having to build one?

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.3240165,-90.9912656,1252m/data=!3m1!1e3

[amroad17]

I think the I-275 pair closed in the late 2000s.

They were closed when I moved to Northern Kentucky in late 1994.  I believe they were closed either in the late 1980's or very early 1990's.

There was a BBS posted until the early 2000's before the rest area NB on I-275 giving the distances to both the I-71 and I-75 NB rest areas as 30 miles.

Those rest areas near Batesville were reconstructed around 2006.  Why would they close and demolish it so soon after re-doing it?

[planxtymcgillicuddy]

So what was the deal with this on I-20 East on the Louisiana/Mississippi border? Contractor build the LA Welcome Center on the wrong side and have to start over? But seriously was it going to be a weigh station or was Louisiana going to be neighborly and build a rest area for travelers leaving the state and save Mississippi from having to build one?

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.3240165,-90.9912656,1252m/data=!3m1!1e3

It was originally rest areas. The one WB is now a welcome center

[GCrites]

I think the I-275 pair closed in the late 2000s.

They were closed when I moved to Northern Kentucky in late 1994.  I believe they were closed either in the late 1980's or very early 1990's.

There was a BBS posted until the early 2000's before the rest area NB on I-275 giving the distances to both the I-71 and I-75 NB rest areas as 30 miles.

You're right, I must have mixed up my memories with another pair of rest areas. Historic Aerials has no imagery of the rest areas open since it jumps from 1970 to 1994. You can see that they were razed by 1994.

[ErmineNotyours]

WA 970 & WA 10 (former US 10) south of Cle Ellum.  Popular rendezvous spot for carpooling hikers.

[thefraze_1020]

WA 970 & WA 10 (former US 10) south of Cle Ellum.  Popular rendezvous spot for carpooling hikers.

I've always wondered about that one. What is the story behind it? When did it close and what facilities did it have?

FWIW, until about 1969, this was where US 10 and US 97 split, and WA 970 was US 97 until 97 was moved to its current routing circa-1975.

[US71]

There is one on US 71 just as you enter Arkansas that was the Tourist Info Center for many years. It was abandoned probably 15-20 years ago and torn down.

The RA's on I-40 just before I-430 were replaced last year with a new exit.

https://goo.gl/maps/XK1xt8PC1pWC9Rcb9

[rte66man]

Here's a variation on closed rest areas.  Oklahoma closed both the NB and SB rest areas on I-35 at MM 148 in the early 90's due to a problem with prostitution.  However, about 2 months ago, they reopened both of them. The rest rooms and vending building were razed when the areas were closed but the parking areas are still good.

[US71]

Here's a variation on closed rest areas.  Oklahoma closed both the NB and SB rest areas on I-35 at MM 148 in the early 90's due to a problem with prostitution.  However, about 2 months ago, they reopened both of them. The rest rooms and vending building were razed when the areas were closed but the parking areas are still good.

MODOT did something similar with some of their rest areas: they razed the buildings and turned it into Truck Parking with a porta john

[ztonyg]

Arizona has reopened 2 rest areas to trucks only near Flagstaff due to COVID.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2020/04/13/2-rest-stops-northern-arizona-reopen-help-truck-drivers/2983650001/

[Katavia]

In South Carolina: The rest areas at around Mile 89 (15 miles from Spartanburg) were closed sometime in 2011. The SB rest area was turned into a Blythe Construction field office. GSV has partial footage from the NB rest area.

https://goo.gl/maps/kjeszVqAryRjPqbp7

[ozarkman417]

Here's a variation on closed rest areas.  Oklahoma closed both the NB and SB rest areas on I-35 at MM 148 in the early 90's due to a problem with prostitution.  However, about 2 months ago, they reopened both of them. The rest rooms and vending building were razed when the areas were closed but the parking areas are still good.

MODOT did something similar with some of their rest areas: they razed the buildings and turned it into Truck Parking with a porta john

Here is a good example:

Rest Area ---> Truck Parking
The only reason I can think of to get rid of it is to cut down on operating/maintenance costs.

[RobbieL2415]

Probably already mentioned, but I-195 in Seekonk, MA has been closed for at least a decade. MassDOT uses it as construction staging.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7649592,-71.2366461,3a,83.1y,179.24h,85.67t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCOIhZHSpmehFoeFxwyw5Yw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Its notblocked off or signed "Do Not Enter" so I don't think it would be illegal to stop in there.

Not exactly abandoned, but there's this rest area c. 1970 on what was then CT 15 (now I-84) in Vernon.
http://magic.lib.uconn.edu/magic_2/raster/37800/aerial/1970/flight_line_14/adimg_37800_00_14ct4063_1970_s20_DPW_1_tf.tif
The land the westbound (top) one is sitting on is now Exit 65, the eastbound one is now a CONNDOT maintenance yard.

[jmacswimmer]

Near Richmond IN on I-70:

Eastbound at IN mile 143 (while westbound was relocated slightly west and rebuilt into a welcome center)
Westbound at OH mile 3 (and eastbound rebuilt)

Seems like a logical move on both sides since these pairs were only 15 miles apart.

[thefraze_1020]

WA 970 & WA 10 (former US 10) south of Cle Ellum.  Popular rendezvous spot for carpooling hikers.

I've always wondered about that one. What is the story behind it? When did it close and what facilities did it have?

FWIW, until about 1969, this was where US 10 and US 97 split, and WA 970 was US 97 until 97 was moved to its current routing circa-1975.

It looks as though I have answered my own question, at least partially. On the WSDOT digital library collection website, I found a document from 2003 about proposed improvements to WA 970. The document makes mention of a "mini-rest area" at the junction between WA 970 and WA 10. It had portable toilets, picnic tables, a parking area and dumpsters. Apparently this site was dismantled "about ten years ago" (which would be circa 1993) due to budget cuts.

Interestingly, the document multiple times mentions the possibility of WSDOT constructing a new rest area at the WA 970 and US 97 junction. But this was 17 years ago, so unlikely to happen.


Also, the rest area located at "Teanaway Juntion" is mentioned in the July, 1963 issue of "Washington Highway News", so it existed at least since then. The mention was in an article about roadside parks. The article states that at time, there were 121 such roadside parks operating in the state.

[Harvestman]

Again, likely already mentioned, but there are two abandoned EB/WB rest areas on I-74 in Cain Township, Indiana, just east of Veedersburg.  Looks like one was restricted to cars only and the other was for trucks only.
I don't see anything replacing them on the westbound side, but there is a newer rest area on the eastbound side just past the IL/IN state line.

[bdmoss88]

This one on US280 north of Auburn, AL has been closed for years now.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.6770998,-85.4873509,325m/data=!3m1!1e3

[planxtymcgillicuddy]

This one on US280 north of Auburn, AL has been closed for years now.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.6770998,-85.4873509,325m/data=!3m1!1e3

Interesting that all the buildings with that one are perfectly intact though.

[sirrobyn0]

WA 970 & WA 10 (former US 10) south of Cle Ellum.  Popular rendezvous spot for carpooling hikers.

If your still interested I might be able to give a little info.  Yes this use to be a rest stop, though I'd describe it as more of a wayside, it could not accommodate semi-tracks.  I believe it was a highway 10 wayside, and there was no signage for it on I-90 that I recall.  IIRC, it closed in the early 90's

[sirrobyn0]

Here's a detail from the 1978 Washington State Highways map showing that this was a Travel Information Center, not necessarily a rest area.  The interchange diagrams from this map were the reason I am a road geek.

1978 Washington State Highway Map detail showing the Vancouver Travel Information Center by Arthur Allen, on Flickr

If you look at this on a modern map such as google. https://maps.app.goo.gl/ikjV2KnjGM2vUKeV7  Check out the street view while your there.  The original lot has been cut in half with a chainlink fence.  The travel center and car parking lot is the "silver" lot for Clark county collage.  Looks like the built a road to East Mcloughlin road to access it.  I remember it being a Washington state welcome center.  It's to bad they closed it, but it's good that the facility has lived on.  Also understandable that they closed it given it was undersized for being just north of Portland, and Gee creek rest area is much larger and only 10 miles up the road.  Anyhow thi welcome center closed in the late 90's

[planxtymcgillicuddy]

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.713213,-81.4500605,287m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

This abandoned rest area on I-40 near Icard, NC. EB only, does not seem to be one WB

EDIT-I take that back. There WAS a WB one, but virtually all trace of it has been removed.

[epzik8]

There was a pair on I-95 just north of exit 170 outside of Florence, South Carolina that have been closed since 2010, but the old roadbeds remain. I got a picture of the former northbound entrance this past October, where there is a sign "REST AREA CLOSED/EXIT 181 10 MILES" (but I'm struggling to upload it to link here).

[GCrites]

Here's a detail from the 1978 Washington State Highways map showing that this was a Travel Information Center, not necessarily a rest area.  The interchange diagrams from this map were the reason I am a road geek.

1978 Washington State Highway Map detail showing the Vancouver Travel Information Center by Arthur Allen, on Flickr

If you look at this on a modern map such as google. https://maps.app.goo.gl/ikjV2KnjGM2vUKeV7  Check out the street view while your there.  The original lot has been cut in half with a chainlink fence.  The travel center and car parking lot is the "silver" lot for Clark county collage.  Looks like the built a road to East Mcloughlin road to access it.  I remember it being a Washington state welcome center.  It's to bad they closed it, but it's good that the facility has lived on.  Also understandable that they closed it given it was undersized for being just north of Portland, and Gee creek rest area is much larger and only 10 miles up the road.  Anyhow thi welcome center closed in the late 90's

That is probably one of the most unique re-uses of a rest area that I have heard of. I suppose ones closer to cities are more likely to see this sort of thing.

[sirrobyn0]

Here's a detail from the 1978 Washington State Highways map showing that this was a Travel Information Center, not necessarily a rest area.  The interchange diagrams from this map were the reason I am a road geek.

1978 Washington State Highway Map detail showing the Vancouver Travel Information Center by Arthur Allen, on Flickr

If you look at this on a modern map such as google. https://maps.app.goo.gl/ikjV2KnjGM2vUKeV7  Check out the street view while your there.  The original lot has been cut in half with a chainlink fence.  The travel center and car parking lot is the "silver" lot for Clark county collage.  Looks like the built a road to East Mcloughlin road to access it.  I remember it being a Washington state welcome center.  It's to bad they closed it, but it's good that the facility has lived on.  Also understandable that they closed it given it was undersized for being just north of Portland, and Gee creek rest area is much larger and only 10 miles up the road.  Anyhow thi welcome center closed in the late 90's

That is probably one of the most unique re-uses of a rest area that I have heard of. I suppose ones closer to cities are more likely to see this sort of thing.

I agree and next time I'm in the area I might just have to detour down there to see what the building is like today.