PennDOT reopens indoor facilities at three more rest areas

Indoor facilities at three more rest areas will reopen, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

On Monday, May 11, PennDOT announced the reopening of indoor facilities at the following rest areas:

• Interstate 70 westbound in Fulton County, 1 mile west of the Maryland state line.
• Interstate 80 eastbound in Columbia County, 3.5 miles east of Exit 242.
• Interstate 80 westbound in Columbia County, 10 miles west of Exit 256.

Truckers may have noticed that parking at these rest areas have been available for several weeks. However, indoor facilities, including public restrooms, have been closed at many rest areas in Pennsylvania.

The state has been gradually reopening those facilities.

Indoor facilities have been opened at the following rest areas:

• Interstate 79 northbound in Allegheny County, 8 miles north of Exit 45.
• Interstate 79 northbound in Crawford County, 8 miles north of Exit 154.
• Interstate 79 southbound in Crawford County, 3 miles south of Exit 166.
• Interstate 79 northbound in Greene County, 5 miles north of Exit 1.
• Interstate 79 northbound in Lawrence County, 3.5 miles north of Exit 105.
• Interstate 79 southbound in Lawrence County, 3.5 miles south of Exit 113.
• Interstate 79 northbound in Mercer County, 5 miles south of Exit 141.
• Interstate 79 southbound in Mercer County, 6 miles north of Exit 130.
• Interstate 80 eastbound in Centre County, 13 miles east of Exit 133.
• Interstate 80 westbound in Centre County, 0.5 miles west of Exit 147.
• Interstate 80 eastbound in Jefferson County, 1 mile east of Exit 86.
• Interstate 80 westbound in Jefferson County, 10 miles west of Exit 97.
• Interstate 80 eastbound in Luzerne County, 8.5 miles east of Exit 262.
• Interstate 80 eastbound in Monroe County, 1 mile east of I-80/I-380.
• Interstate 80 eastbound in Montour County, 4.5 miles east of Exit 215.
• Interstate 80 westbound in Montour County, 4.5 miles west of Exit 224.
• Interstate 80 eastbound in Venango County, 0.5 miles east of Exit 29.
• Interstate 80 westbound in Venango County, 4 miles west of Exit 35.
• Interstate 81 northbound in Cumberland County, 0.5 miles north of Exit 37.
• Interstate 81 southbound in Cumberland County, 5.5 miles south of Exit 44.
• Interstate 81 northbound in Lackawanna County, 0.5 miles north of Exit 202.
• Interstate 81 northbound in Luzerne County, 1.5 miles north of Exit 155.
• Interstate 81 southbound in Luzerne County, 1.5 miles south of Exit 159.
• Interstate 81 southbound in Susquehanna County, 4 miles south of Exit 211.
• Interstate 83 northbound in York County, 2.5 miles north of the Maryland state line.
• Interstate 84 eastbound in Pike County, 6 miles east of Exit 20.
• Interstate 84 westbound in Pike County, 1 mile west of Exit 26.
• Interstate 90 eastbound in Erie County, 3 miles east of the Ohio state line.
• Interstate 70 eastbound in Washington County, 3.5 miles east of Exit 1.
• Interstate 81 northbound in Franklin County, 1 mile north of the Maryland state line.
• Interstate 81 southbound in Susquehanna County, 0.5 miles south of the New York state line.
• Interstate 90 westbound in Erie County, 0.5 miles west of the New York state line.
• U.S. 15 southbound in Tioga County, 7 miles south of the New York state line.

Additional cleaning and maintenance will be performed at all reopened locations.

Tourism services are not available at this time. The department will continue to evaluate and will determine whether additional locations can be reopened.

On March 17, PennDOT closed all of its rest areas, including truck parking, in a knee-jerk reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trucking industry stakeholders, including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, urged the state to reverse the decision. PennDOT opened 13 rest areas on March 18, 10 more on March 24, and an additional five on April 6.

In total, PennDOT operates 30 rest areas. However, rest areas are also located within welcome centers.