Rest Areas off Exits (I-17 Exit 252)

[HighwayMaster]

I-17 Exit 252 would be your typical ranch exit if it weren't for the rest area off of it! Can anyone explain why ADOT put a rest area on an exit instead of the normal manner?

It is cool, though.

[Sykotyk]

1) Cheaper than building two smaller ones.
2) Safer than putting one in the median.

Wyoming has a few, especially on I-90 west of Gillette.

[Brandon]

This seems to be SOP for Colorado as well, placing the rest areas at exits.

[MeanMeosh]

Can anyone explain why ADOT put a rest area on an exit instead of the normal manner?

I've seen this setup elsewhere.  The rest area on I-49 north of Opelousas, Louisiana is built at an exit, off the northbound side.  In this case, the exit was built specifically for the rest area, as there's no intersecting road there at all.  I have to imagine it's because of the marshy land in this area, which much have made it expensive to build one on each side.

I think there's also a rest area off an exit on I-75 in Florida, south of Ocala.  Can't remember for sure on that one, though.

[Crewdawg]

It is also a scenic view,

[mgk920]

The I-24 welcome center in Paducah, KY is like that, too.

Mike

[Brandon]

The I-24 welcome center in Paducah, KY is like that, too.

Mike

As is one in your own backyard on I-94 at the Illinois border.

[rarnold]

Iowa has one at the Dows I-35 Exit 159. Makes sense to do this and make one really nice rest areas than have two mediocre rest areas.

[allniter89]

The MS rest area just east of the LA line is also at an exit (Diamondhead?) on the southside of the interstate.
I prefer rest areas at exits to those just off the travel lanes because alot of times the ra just off the travel lanes are noisy from passing traffic.
Also on I 10 in FL, there is a rest area off an exit @ Ponce de Leon, FL (exit 96?).

[Alex]

The MS rest area just east of the LA line is also at an exit (Diamondhead?) on the southside of the interstate.
I prefer rest areas at exits to those just off the travel lanes because alot of times the ra just off the travel lanes are noisy from passing traffic.
Also on I 10 in FL, there is a rest area off an exit @ Ponce de Leon, FL (exit 96?).

The rest area off of Exit 2 doubles as the Mississippi Welcome Center. It is along MS-607.

The Florida 81 rest area is on the south side of Interstate 10, correct at Exit 96.

[Brandon]

Iowa has one at the Dows I-35 Exit 159. Makes sense to do this and make one really nice rest areas than have two mediocre rest areas.

Iowa does it again on I-80 at LeClaire (Quad Cities area).  The rest area is up on a hill, accessible via US-67.

[Alps]

The US 4 welcome center entering Vermont from NY is just off the highway on VT 4A.

[D-Dey65]

I think there's also a rest area off an exit on I-75 in Florida, south of Ocala.  Can't remember for sure on that one, though.

Not in Ocala, but you will find two of them in a couple of locations in Southwest Florida. What's interesting about Ocala though, is that it has three different sections; One for cars, one for RV's and one for Trucks & Tractor-Trailers. For most of them, the RV's share the Tractor-trailer sections.

[Ian]

In Maine, there is a rest area just off I-295 exit 17 along US 1 in Yarmouth.

[PAHighways]

There is a Welcome Center/Rest Area at Exit 53, right at the westbound on/off ramps, on I-84 in Matamoras, PA. 

[jdb1234]

I think there's also a rest area off an exit on I-75 in Florida, south of Ocala.  Can't remember for sure on that one, though.

Not in Ocala, but you will find two of them in a couple of locations in Southwest Florida. What's interesting about Ocala though, is that it has three different sections; One for cars, one for RV's and one for Trucks & Tractor-Trailers. For most of them, the RV's share the Tractor-trailer sections.

The rest area in Punta Gorda is off of Exit 161 on I-75 ( I have stopped there a few times).  There was one off the Daniels Parkway interchange in Fort Myers, not sure if it is still there.

[Roadgeek Adam]

The Welcome Center on I-80 is technically off Exit 53/Exit 310 in the Gap.

[Beeper1]

In Maine, the West Gardiner Service Plaza is off Exit 103 of I-95 and Exit 51 of I-295.

In Mass., the Barstable Service Plaza on US-6 is off Exit 6 at MA 132.

[roadfro]

In Nevada, most of the rest areas along I-80 are off of exits and not on the mainline:

• Exit 83, US 95 Intg. – US 95 joins/leaves I-80 here, and its also the northern terminus for US 95 Alt along I-80. The rest area and separate truck parking are adjacent to the interchange on the two-lane US 95.
• Exit 158, Cosgrave Intg. – The exit appears to be built almost exclusively for a rest area. However, a frontage road terminates here and there are some crop circles nearby and a dirt road leading away from the interchange.
• Exit 187, Button Point Intg. – The rest area is off a short frontage road from the interchange. Like the previous one, there are a couple dirt roads leading away from the interchange that otherwise seems to be built for the rest area.
• Exit 216, Valmy Intg. – The site of Valmy is on the north side of the freeway, and the rest area is on the south side.
• Exit 373, (Pequop) Summit Intg. – A fairly spartan rest stop, one on each side of the freeway linked but linked via the interchange.
• Exit 410, West Wendover – This is actually a Nevada Welcome Center on US 93 Alt/BL 80 in West Wendover.
  

There are a couple directly off of the mainlines of I-80 though:

• West of Exit 43 at Wadsworth – There is a rest area westbound. The eastbound side has a truck inspection station which is often closed.
• West of Exit 261 – Rest areas along both sides of the mainline.

I-15 has a Nevada Welcome Center just off Exit 122 in Mesquite, (the first/last exit in Nevada). Other than a truck parking area somewhere between Mesquite and Las Vegas, that is the only rest area on I-15 in Nevada (the Welcome Center in Primm appears to have been shut down).

All other rest areas in Nevada are along two-lane roads or divided highways.

[SP Cook]

West Virginia does this twice, both on I-77.  The short free section (9 miles) of I-77 North did not originally include a rest area or "welcome center", as Virginia had a northbound one paraleling its southbound"welcome center" just 10 miles south, and to not compete with the Turnpike's service area not 10 miles north.  Many local politicians though this hurt tourism, but it was not possible to get on on the 9 mile section because there was no place with public utilities.  Eventually the Turnpike constructed a "welcome center" that is in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart off the regular Exit 9.  It is thus reachable from either direction on 77 and either diretion on US 460 (Corridor Q).

Later, the state began a program, still ongoing, to rebuild its rest areas, which all dated from the construction of the road (60s and 70s).  The southbound "welcome center", and the parallel one northbound, near Parkersburg was however just sort of left "as is" and new place was build 15 miles to the south, just off an exit in what was a "park and ride" area.

[ftballfan]

I-75's welcome center in Sault Ste. Marie is off of Exit 394. I-75's welcome center in Mackinaw City is off of Exit 337.

[hbelkins]

S.P. mentioned the West Virginia example, and someone else mentioned the Whitehaven Mansion that serves as Kentucky's welcome center/rest area on I-24.

Kentucky has a rest area on the Mountain Parkway at Exit 33. I was there for the dedication as a young newspaper reporter, some 25 or so years ago.

[deathtopumpkins]

I-40 between I-95 and Wilmington, NC has a rest area off an exit (though I don't recall which exit). What is notable about it though is the fact that it is located in the median of the freeway but still only accessible from the intersecting road.

[wriddle082]

The I-24 welcome center in Paducah, KY is like that, too.

Mike

So is the nearby I-24 welcome center in Metropolis, IL.

TN has a welcome center just off I-40 on Riverside Dr. in Memphis, though it might be closed at the moment due to the recent MS River floods.

[1995hoo]

Southbound I-95 in Virginia has a car rest area (trucks have their own further south connected to a weigh station) located along the barrier-separated C/D lane near Dale City and Potomac Mills Mall.