The Arizona Department of Transportation recently released the draft of a “blueprint” to preserve, rehabilitate, modernize, and expand the 19 rest areas it oversees during the next 20 years.
[Above photo by the Arizona DOT]
The agency noted in a statement that its draft plan looks at upgrades for those state-owned rest areas so they can handle increased commerce, tourism, and population growth – all done in alignment with federal requirements and projected funding availability.
The study does not call for adding or eliminating any rest areas, Arizona DOT stressed. However, the study does recommend reopening two previously-closed rest areas – one on Interstate 40 just west of Flagstaff and another on I-17 near Munds Park – to make them available for commercial truck parking only with limited amenities.
Arizona DOT added that it updates its statewide rest area plans every 10 years to capture the latest changes in the rapidly growing needs of the traveling public, the transportation industry, state and federal policies, technology and potential revenue.
Since its last update in 2011, the agency said it has completed major rehabilitations at 16 of the 19 rest areas under its purview.