Two rest areas along Interstate 4 in Florida are slated to get expansions that will more than triple the amount of truck parking, but local residents plan to fight the plans.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that the Seminole County rest stops currently can handle about 18 tractor-trailers and 24 cars at a time. Expansion plans will mean enough room for 60 tractor-trailers and about 70 cars. Existing bathrooms buildings will be replaced with larger travel centers. An extended circular on-ramp would allow big rigs to get up more speed before merging onto the Interstate.
People who live near the rest areas, however, aren't happy about the plans. Despite a wall that would be up to 26 feet tall to block noise, residents are going to their elected state officials to force the DOT to build different rest areas in a more rural area.
DOT officials say that will cost more money because in addition to similar construction costs, they will have to purchase land.
Preliminary results of a study of noise levels at the existing rest area show that traffic on the nearby residential road generates more noise than the westbound rest area.
The expansion project is not scheduled to begin construction until 2004.