The state of Connecticut plans to upgrade its 23 service plazas with more restaurants, stores and improved facilities.
The service plazas are along the Connecticut Turnpike (Interstate 95), the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways and I-395 in eastern Connecticut.

The project, which was announced by Governor M. Jodi Rell, is a 35-year agreement that should result in $500 million in benefits to the state, including projected revenues, initial construction and reinvestments.

"This is an unprecedented commitment to economic development, jobs and meeting the needs of the traveling public," Governor Rell said. "We are changing the face of our service plazas to make them as inviting, safe and convenient as possible to the hundreds of thousands of daily travelers on our most heavily used highways."

The upgrades were made possible through negotiations between the State Department of Transportation and preferred developer Doctors Associates/Paul Landino (DAI), which represents Subway, and global private equity firm The Carlyle Group.

The state will use an initial $178 million in private capital to modernize the service plazas. Three travel plazas will be entirely replaced, while the remaining 20 will undergo renovations.

With the new upgrades, all 23 truckstops will include a Subway, a Dunkin' Donuts and a convenience store. In addition, McDonald's will be one of the food providers at eight of the turnpike locations, and the larger service plazas on the turnpike will have a variety of additional food offerings. Alliance Energy, a large New England petroleum-marketing distributor, will provide fuel and operate the convenience stores.

While the truckstops currently employ 750 people, the state expects to create 100 construction jobs during the first five years, and 1,000 should be employed after the transition.

According to DOT Commissioner Joseph F. Marie, the agreement "marks the beginning of a new era of convenience and service for the millions of travelers on these major highways every year."

The travel plazas are at the following locations:

Connecticut Turnpike (northbound and southbound):
* Darien
* Fairfield
* Milford
* Branford
* Madison

Merritt Parkway (northbound and southbound):
* Greenwich
* New Canaan
* Fairfield

Wilbur Cross Parkway (northbound and southbound):
* Orange
* North Haven

I-395:
* Montville (southbound)
* Plainfield (northbound and southbound)

For more information, visit www.ct.gov/dot.