The Virginia Department of Transportation has reopened four rest stops along Interstate 81 that the state closed this summer due to budget cuts. The newly opened rest areas are near Rural Retreat, Smyth, New Market and Radford

, according to reports by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

In June, the Commonwealth Transportation Board voted to reduce the number of state rest stops from 42 to 23, but the board reversed that decision last month in a unanimous vote. The state expects to open all of the remaining rest areas by April 15.

The Virginia DOT will use $3 million from its maintenance reserve fund to operate the facilities through the remainder of this fiscal year, which ends June 30. Long-term funding for the rest areas will be identified as VDOT revises its maintenance budget this spring. The original plan to close the facilities was expected to save the state $9 million in 2010 and address its $2.6 billion revenue shortfall.

The state will continue to find ways to defray operation costs, including the development of an "Adopt a Rest Stop" program to permit private sector contributions. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell also plans to tap non-violent inmate work crews for maintenance, landscaping and repair of existing rest areas.

A map of the reopened rest areas is available at: http://www.virginiadot.org/news/resources/Statewide/repopen_Map_011510.pdf.