TravelCenters of America is spending $20 million to build a new full-service Petro Stopping Center in Gary, Ind., on the 28-acre site of the old Steel City Truck Stop.


According to published reports, the facility is expected to open by late spring of 2013 at 3001 Grant St., just south of I-80/94 (locally known as the Borman Expressway). It will have 340 truck parking spaces, 15 diesel pumps (all with DEF at the pump) and eight gasoline pumps with 16 fueling positions.

In addition to the usual truck stop appointments such as showers and an Iron Skillet restaurant, there will be a Taco Bell/Pizza Hut, a Verizon UltraMobile store, a movie room, a StayFit fitness room, and a six-bay Petro:Lube truck service facility.

TravelCenters acquired the facility last year along with five other travel centers when Gas City sold its assets. The city, which leased the land to Gas City, sold the site to Travel America Corp. last month for $1.7 million.