Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell was on hand Monday at the groundbreaking for the redevelopment of the service plaza on the southbound Wilbur Cross Parkway in North Haven, the first of the state's 23 highway service plazas being overhauled.

The upgrades will include more restaurants, stores and improved facilities. The overhauls will also include "green" initiatives to bring the facilities up to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, improve water run-off patterns and install idle-reduction technology for use by trucks on the Connecticut Turnpike. The service plazas are along the Connecticut Turnpike (Interstate 95), the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways and I-395 in eastern Connecticut.

At the North Haven service plaza, plans include a complete interior renovation of the existing building and its restrooms, with new mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems; an addition to accommodate a Subway and a Dunkin' Donuts; relocation of the gas pumps for safer access and service; increased and improved site accessibility; exterior building rehabilitation; and landscape enhancements.

Solar panels will also be installed to supplement electrical power. The work is expected to take about five months, during which time the plaza will be closed.

The overhaul project is a 35-year agreement that should result in $500 million in benefits to the state, including projected revenues, initial construction and reinvestments.

"We are literally changing the face of our service plazas so that we can better serve the commuters, businesses and tourists who count on our highways every day," Gov. Rell said. "Interstate 95, I-395, the Wilbur Cross and the Merritt Parkways are major economic arteries - they connect people and places, move goods around and through our state and support our economy in ways large and small. Keeping these roads and their related services in good shape simply makes economic sense."

The project is also expected to create more than 300 jobs, including 100 construction jobs and about 250 new staff positions.

The 35-year agreement was the result of extended negotiations between the state Department of Transportation and Project Service, headed by Paul Landino. The global private equity firm The Carlyle Group is providing the financial backing to Project Service. Alliance Energy, a large New England petroleum-marketing distributor, will provide fuel and operate the convenience stores, while Centerplan, headed by Paul Landino's brother, Bob, is overseeing all development and construction.