Lets clear one thing. The people in Va. are completely against this, period, no room for debate! Below is a letter that I sent to VDOT on this.

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I can't believe the state of Va. First, let me state that I am a citizen of this state, but I refrain from stopping in at any rest area in Va. because this state has the dirtest, smallest, and fewest rest areas of any state that I have ever traveled in. After 46 years of trucking across this country, I have found this to be very true. Va. could take a lesson from states such as S.C. or Florida. Even Ga. allows truck parking at the weigh stations when the stations are closed. Florida has super nice weigh stations and plenty of trucking parking at the weigh stations and restroom facilities for truckers, truckers are encouraged to take advantage of the facilities, but the story here in Va. is very different.

It makes no difference to me, personally, if you close every rest area in the state, because as I have stated, I do not stop in at the "dirty holes". The rest areas in this state are shameful reflection on this state.

"Virginia is for lovers"---Not for natural body functions!

I have one suggestion for all the money they'll save. Hire more roadside cleanup crews because they'll be needed after the state becomes a huge pee-bottle dump, along with other litter that would have otherwise gone in rest area garbage cans.

I'm not even going to touch the "put everything on trains" comment.

And people complain about having to run out to California.
Yes VA. is a state with a bunch of STUPID people in office.
I guess when they find mty stores shelves, they maybe that will wake them up.

eliminate welfare for all them girls on the Maury Povich show who need DNA tests of 26 men to find out who's the daddy,then these states would have plenty of money. Highway taxes go into the "General Fund" that pays for all these entitlements imposed by the Libs. Welfare programs,illegal alien health care,etc is why these states cannot afford maintaining rest areas and other public areas that,when built,the money existed in the Highway Funds based on fuel taxes and Federal Highway Trust Funds. State governments have been using road taxes for other things for so many years,and we wonder why our roads and bridges are in such sad shape. Quit paying IRRESPONSIBLE girls to have babies(let her parents be liable-no matter what her age-they raised her and taught her SO WELL),eliminate all these loopholes for illegal aliens to sneak across-have a child-collect welfare.Use Highway Funds for highways only and there would be no need to close rest areas.that's my opinion be it wrong or right!

ATA: Closing Virginia rest areas would endanger motorists

They'll probably end up dropping that number of 25 and close 10 or 15 rest areas instead.

Yesterday I stopped at the Virginia Welcome Center just over the Virginia-North Carolina state line in Bayce on Interstate 85 Northbound, Mile Marker 2. This is a very nice rest stop with lots of room to park and nice amenitities.

However, I found that its CLOSED except for Thursday through Monday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

To lodge a complaint or comment about the closing of rest stops in Virginia call the rest stop coordinator at the VA DOT ...

(804) 786-0670

By the way, three years ago they spent 21 million dollars refurbshing many rest stops and welcome centers.

The Virginia welcome center on Interstate 95 Southbound just above Fredericksburg was bulldozed and completely rebuilt into a better facility.

Virginia is undergoing a statewide campaign right now for Governor.

It pits former Attorney General Bob McDonnell, the Republican nominee against State Senator R. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic nominee.

Does anyone who is a citizen of Virginia know in their respective gubernatorial campaigns how the candidates feel about keeping the rest stops closed or will they open them again?

If they open them again how will it be done with public money and public employees or will the rest stops be turned into for profit private enterprises?

Thanks.