Governor: All State Highway Rest Areas To Resume 24-7 Operations

HARTFORD, CT—All seven of the state-operated highway rest area buildings, including indoor restroom facilities, will be open to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week beginning Monday, July 1, Governor Ned Lamont announced.

Funding to return the rest areas to round-the-clock operations was included in the budget the governor signed into law earlier this week.

The rest area on I-95 in North Stonington southbound just past exit 93 is one of them

The state’s seven rest areas – four on I-84, two on I-91, and one on I-95 – are maintained by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. 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, as well as other amenities.

Staffing levels at the facilities had been reduced on October 1, 2016 in response to budget cuts, limiting the seven locations to a one-shift, daytime operation. While the rest areas technically remained “open” around the clock under the scenario, the indoor facilities were closed to the public for the remaining two evening and overnight shifts, necessitating the sole use of outdoor portable restroom facilities during hours during un-staffed hours.

“While certainly well intentioned, I believe the move to shut our state’s rest areas was penny wise and pound foolish,” Lamont said. “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.”