Virginia has reopened the last seven of the 19 safety rest areas Wednesday, beating its April 15 deadline set by Gov. Bob McDonnell when he took office in January
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In June 2009, the Commonwealth Transportation Board voted to reduce the number of state rest stops from 42 to 23, but the board reversed that decision in January in a unanimous vote.

The trucking industry was relieved to hear the news.

"We sincerely appreciate Governor McDonnell's commitment to highway safety on the important issue of safety rest areas," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "Safety rest areas play a vital role in preventing fatigue in drivers of all vehicles and also provide the accommodations necessary for motorists while on the road."

Last year, ATA and the Virginia Trucking Association objected to the previous administration's plan to close the rest areas because there was already a severe shortage of truck parking. "It is simply beyond comprehension that Virginia would be willing to put lives at risk in order to balance the Commonwealth's budget," Graves said in a letter to former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.

"Gov. McDonnell's leadership and efforts to quickly restore the Commonwealth's safety rest areas is a great service to all highway users, especially our nation's professional truck drivers, who need safe, secure parking spaces to rest and comply with federal hours of service regulations," said Dale Bennett, VTA president.

Eighteen facilities closed in July 2009, and the final facility -- the Interstate 66 West Manassas Welcome Center -- closed in September. Upon the current administration's decision to restore the safety rest areas, four reopened in mid-February and eight more reopened in mid-March.