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All State-Operated Highway Rest Areas to Resume 24/7 Operations

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By Richard Kaufman

Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Friday that all seven of the state-operated highway rest area buildings, including indoor restroom facilities, will be open to the public 24 hours per day, seven days a week beginning on Monday, July 1.

Funding to resume around-the-clock operations was included in the budget that Lamont signed into law earlier this week.

“While certainly well intentioned, I believe the move to shut our state’s rest areas was penny wise and pound foolish,” Lamont said in a press release on Friday. “We have to make the necessary investments to attract people to visit and return to our state. This is a small but meaningful step toward making Connecticut more attractive to visitors and our residents alike.”

Connecticut’s seven rest areas, which include four on I-84, two on I-91 and one on I-95, are all maintained by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT). They are part of a statewide network of facilities, which also include 23 service plazas that are located on interstate highways and the Merritt Parkway, and offer parking, food, rest and relief, and other amenities.

“My agency has always felt that our seven rest areas are important safety amenities for travelers and truckers,” said CTDOT Commissioner, Joe Giulietti, in the press release. “While I’m proud of the fact that we managed to at least keep them open in the face of financial adversity, our residents and visitors to our state deserve better than portable bathrooms. This has been a long time coming, and I thank Governor Lamont for helping to get us the resources we needed.”

According to the press release, staffing levels at the facilities had been reduced in October of 2016 in response to budget cuts, limiting the seven rest areas to a one-shift, daytime operation. The locations remained somewhat open around the clock, but indoor facilities were closed to the public for the remaining two evening and overnight shifts, which forced people to use outdoor portable restroom facilities during un-staffed hours.

The seven rest areas are in the following locations:

  • I-84 Danbury EB past Exit 2
  • I-84 Southington EB past Exit 28
  • I-84 Willington EB past Exit 69
  • I-84 Willington WB past Exit 70
  • I-91 Wallingford SB past Exit 15
  • I-91 Middletown NB past Exit 19
  • I-95 North Stonington SB past Exit 93

 

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