The Indiana Department of Transportation will be closing a rest stop on Interstate 64.
Both the east and westbound facilities will be shut down permanently at mile marker 59, near Dale.
“When the usage just isn’t there, you have to make a hard decision,” said INDOT spokesman Jason Tiller. “Do the costs justify keeping it open?”
The Nancy Hanks Rest Area sees about 1300 vehicles a day. The facility was built in the mid-1970s.
“You lose about 50 or so parking spots,” Tiller said. “But we are looking at saving $2 million in upgrades and ADA compliance, replacing pieces of the facility like roofs and soffit.”
There are other options for drivers to find food, lodging and gas at Ferdinand (Exit 63) and Dale (Exit 57).
“One of the reasons we attribute the low usage is having a booming economy around there,” Tiller said.
Tiller said closing the Nancy Hanks Rest Area will allow INDOT to enhance other facilities along interstate routes, including the Black River Welcome Center on I-64 near the Illinois state line.
INDOT does not have a concrete date for closing the rest stop but it will be soon.
“Unfortunately, we will be demolishing those facilities including the buildings, ramps and all of the parking lots and they will be gated off,” Tiller said.
In 2018, INDOT completed a comprehensive study of welcome centers and rest areas. Tiller said there will be a few other closings around the state.
However, Nancy Hanks will be the only rest stop affected in southwest Indiana.
“It’s going to be an adjustment for sure,” he concluded. “We do understand the concerns of the community. But we feel the benefits of closing the rest area outweigh the negatives.”
