REST STOP TO BECOME TRUCK PARKING LOT
It’s the end of an era of sorts for Interstate 29 travelers in Platte County.
The southbound I-29 rest stop near Dearborn is now permanently closed. Yes, it’s a permanent closing, not a temporary one.
The Missouri Department of Transportation says the southbound I-29 rest stop in Platte County closed beginning the morning of Thursday, March 16.
The reason?
According to MoDOT, that southbound rest stop will be converted into truck parking facilities.
Meanwhile, the northbound I-29 rest stop will remain open now and in the future.
“The northbound I-29 rest area will remain open and is not included in this project,” Jenna Keyes, northwest district communications manager for MoDOT, told The Landmark.
As part of the project, the southbound rest area building will be removed, additional truck parking will be added and vault toilets will be installed.
Vault toilets are waterless toilets that collect waste in an underground tank or vault. These non-flush toilets are commonly found in remote areas like campgrounds and national parks.
A similar project is planned on southbound Interstate 35 at Lathrop in Clinton County, where a rest area is also being permanently closed.
MoDOT has contracted with Emery, Sapp & Sons on the $3.8 million combined projects in Platte and Clinton counties. Both are expected to be completed by the end of October.
Why remove the southbound rest area?
MoDOT says when the state began constructing rest areas based on criterial established in 1968, they were designed to provide travelers with restroom facilities and a place to stretch their legs. With more private businesses now providing these same opportunities, the need for consumer rest areas is not as critical as it once was.
The decision to convert the southbound I-29 rest stop was “based on a need for increased truck parking and available funding to upgrade and maintain rest areas,” MoDOT says.
Rather than totally abandon the rest areas, MoDOT plans to convert the spot to truck parking to help meet the needs of commercial vehicles and decrease the renovation and upkeep costs associated with traditional rest areas.
MoDOT says the need for more truck parking has become an increasingly critical need. It is estimated that up to 35 percent of the average daily traffic on Missouri’s interstates are commercial vehicles.
“When truckers can’t find parking off the road, they resort to parking on the interstate access ramps and this creates a safety hazard,” Marty Liles, MoDOT northwest district engineer, recently said.
“By converting the rest areas to truck parking we’re able to help meet the needs of commercial vehicles while decreasing the costs associated with the renovation and upkeep of traditional rest areas,” Liles added.
The Dearborn I-29 truck parking facility will have 20 parking spaces, MoDOT says. The southbound rest area will remain closed during demolition and construction of the new truck parking facilities, with expected opening in late October.