Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
The State Budget Committee on Tuesday approved more than $255 million in funding for the Indiana Department of Transportation to support six welcome center renovation projects.
The projects are part of INDOT’s Rest Area & Welcome Center Improvement Plan, which will ultimately improve 21 rest area and welcome centers across the state over the next 10 years.
The state was awarded $600 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the effort, and the funding approved by the State Budget Committee comes from that allocation.
The latest funding will support welcome center projects at Kankakee, Lebanon, Clear Creek, Black River, Centerville and Pigeon Creek.
The Pigeon Creek Welcome Center, located about 45 miles north of Fort Wayne, opened in 2020. As part of the improvement plan, INDOT completed a parking reconfiguration project in Fiscal Year 2022.
The $40 million replacement of the Kankakee Welcome Center in Jasper County was completed last October. Meanwhile, work on the Clear Creek Welcome Center in Terre Haute and the Black River Welcome Center in Posey County is underway and expected to be completed next year.
During Tuesday’s meeting, State Sen. Chris Garten, R-Charlestown, questioned why the state is spending an average of about $42 million on the welcome center improvements.
“That seems like a lot for a welcome center,” Garten said. “I’m not suggesting that these don’t need to be updated or even reconstructed. But $42 million a piece on average is a heck of a welcome center. You can build a world-class facility for $42 million.”
Joe Gustin, chief financial officer for INDOT, noted that the majority of the cost for each project is for pavement.
“[At] Kankakee, we constructed 150 truck spots. Each struck spot is $45,000,” Gustin said. “The buildings are about $11-$12 million, and then there’s a lot of site amenities that we have as well because we are trying to turn these into destinations.”
Each new welcome center has its own theme highlighting some part of Indiana’s history. The Kankakee center spotlights the northwest Indiana region’s commitment to wind energy. The Clear Creek center will highlight Indiana’s motorsports history in partnership with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
INDOT is also focusing on adding amenities such as children’s play areas and adult recreation areas to make the centers more attractive.
Additionally, when the entire project is complete, INDOT will have added 1,200 semitrailer parking spaces to the 1,400 that currently exist, which Gustin said would address a lot of issues, namely those related to safety.
“We are getting accolades from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for the work we’re doing, adding all of these heavy duty truck parking spaces,” he said. “Anyone that can travel the interstates at night or early in the morning will see all of these semis lined up on the ramps, and adding 1,200 additional spots will will help alleviate that safety situation.”
Ultimately, INDOT aims to improve 21 rest area and welcome centers across the state by the end of FY 2034.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
Indiana’s rest areas are decrepit compared to some other states. The extremely nice rest areas on I-65 in Kentucky make quite a contrast. We should build first class facilities.
I have heard concerning reports about the Kankakee rest areas, however. While the southbound “welcome center” is supposedly very nice, I have seen people say on social media that the new northbound rest area does not even have proper rest rooms. It only has a handful of individual toilet stalls, leading to lines of people waiting for them.
I am driving to Chicago next month and will investigate for myself. But if that’s true it’s a major miss, and deeply concerning.
I was going to say the same thing but you beat me to it!!!
If the government is going to mandate truckers rest after so many hours of driving, there needs to be parking provisions for them to obey the law. Right now, many of them are using on and off ramps.
The new rest areas have significant parking accommodations so that truckers no long have to park on the ramps. It’s actually quite remarkable how the state has responded so well to the problem.
Stopped in a new one south bound on 65 two weeks ago. Can’t remember where I was, but it was very nice. Some of the new ones are just big parking lots with three or four hut like buildings with nice bathrooms, but otherwise very unappealing. Yes, Kentucky has nicer facilities, by far. I think we can do better.
100% looking forward to this, great investment by our state. I drive 75 through Kentucky and Tennessee and their rest stops are far and away superior to Indiana’s. We often stop there with the kids to use the facilities, a much different experience. A shame this will take up to 10 years though and $45k per truck parking spot, but government contracts and all, to be expected.
these aren’t just parking spaces. They’re strong enough to handle a steady flow of trucks without breaking. So the concrete is thick, on top of lots of stone base. These aren’t sidewalks or residential streets. They are built to handle truck traffic. So they cost more.
Should be more Grand!!!!!! And more options to spend Money!! And collect Money from visitors!!!! Wrong people in charge!!!!!!
are you suggesting pay toilets so the visitors can help pay? In 2024? Really? Federal funds build these facilities, and most of the cost of the interstate highways. So, simply put, visitors are already paying for them, through their taxes.
What happened here is the State Budget Committee, which controls the expenditure of the federal funds, voted to approve spending them. These aren’t state tax dollars; its federal grants.
Keep in mind, the first impression millions of people have of Indiana each year is the condition of the roads and the interstate rest stops. It’s time those two items are up to contemporary standards.
And no, pay toilets are not appropriate.