MoDOT considers plan to demolish Fruitland rest areas

MoDOT is considering a plan that would demolish the two Fruitland rest areas on Interstate 55 and convert the space into parking for commercial trucks.

Project manager Eric Krapf said county commissions along the interstate have expressed concern over the lack of parking for large trucks, often resulting in truck drivers stopping their rigs on the side of the road.

"It's not the most desirable situation, having them sitting by the driving lanes," Krapf said.

Krapf said maintaining the aging rest areas is also an issue of economics.

"We're going to have to spend a lot of money to keep them in shape, HVAC, wastewater treatment systems," he said. "Rather than spending the money, it could be better spent right now on providing commercial truck parking opportunities."

Once the older facilities are updated, Krapf said, there is a cost associated with keeping the centers operating smoothly, cleanly and efficiently.

"It cost a little over a quarter-million dollars last year for the cleaning contract at the Fruitland areas," he said.

While Krapf did not have a price estimate for demolition and conversion of the rest areas, he said a similar project recently completed in Steele, Mo., cost about $170,000 less than the price of cleaning the Fruitland centers for a year.

If the rest areas are closed, the nearest rest area on the northbound side would be in Bloomsdale, Mo., about 50 miles away, and the nearest on the southbound side would be in Marston, Mo., about 60 miles away.

Krapf is not concerned with the added distance for travelers between rest areas. He said the exits around Fruitland are well-developed and have a variety of places where drivers can take a quick break, including convenience stores and fast-food restaurants.

"There are all kinds of opportunities for people to get off the interstate and stop," he said.

He said some travelers even prefer stopping at these locations, as they can be viewed as a safer alternative to rest areas.

While he knows of no law prohibiting the public from using the truck parking lot, he said MoDOT would prefer to keep it limited to commercial trucks, as smaller cars could be hard to spot among the larger tractor-trailers.

MoDOT will hold a public hearing from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Osage Centre to allow people to learn more about the plan. Krapf said MoDOT has received feedback online, through phone surveys and by canvassing businesses at nearby exits.

"Majority of the feedback has been indifferent or favorable, but I don't discount those that say it's a bad idea," he said.

Should an overwhelming majority of the public express displeasure Thursday, he said, MoDOT could reconsider the idea.

If MoDOT decides to convert the rest areas into commercial parking, Krapf said, the project could be finished by the end of the year. Once complete, the parking lots would also have a vault-style restroom, or privy.

More information about the proposed project is available at www.modot.org/southeast/news_and_information/public_meetings/FruitlandRestAreas_Jan2011.

cbartholomew@semissourian.com

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