South Carolina to Shutter Four Rest Areas to Cut Costs

In an effort to cut costs, the South Carolina Department of Transportation has announced it will close four interstate rest areas on Jan. 27, 2010.

The facilities, which are along Interstates 95, 85 and 26, were chosen due to their age and condition, traffic counts and the availability of other restrooms and truck parking nearby.

The facilities that were selected are:

* I-95 Florence County. Two rest areas are located at mile marker 17. One is on the northbound lanes and another is on the southbound side of the interstate.
* I-85 Cherokee County located at mile marker 89.
* I-26 Berkeley County at mile marker 202.

The two rest areas on I-95 in Florence would require significant funds to make proper renovations, including at least $50,000 to repair water and plumbing problems. Due to the growth of commercial facilities near these two rest areas, the annual average daily traffic has shrunk to approximately 1,000 vehicles. In addition, these two facilities only provide seven truck parking spaces.

The I-85 rest area in Cherokee County is in good condition, but the development that has taken place on this section of I-85 has provided travelers with numerous choices of commercial facilities. As growth has occurred, the daily traffic count at this rest area has dropped to 900 vehicles.

The rest area on I-26 in Berkeley County is the oldest of the facilities scheduled for closing. It's in very poor condition, according to the state, and no renovations have ever occurred at this facility. Though the site will be closed, SCDOT will have the option of re-opening it temporarily in the event of a hurricane evacuation.