The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced that they would shutter five rest area locations due to staff layoffs.
Starting Saturday, April 25, through Sunday, May 10, MDOT will close the following five welcome center/rest area locations:
- Sault Ste. Marie
- Monroe
- Coldwater
- New Buffalo
- Detroit
Both restroom facilities, parking lots, and ramps will be unavailable at theses locations for the next two weeks with the exception of the Detroit Welcome Center, which has a shared parking lot.
Additionally the Menominee and Iron Mountain rest area locations have been closed and will remain closed indefinitely, MDOT says.
MDOT says that the rest area closures are necessary due to the layoffs of workers who clean the facilities.
MDOT says that “Most of the state’s other 63 rest areas remain open at this time, with the exception of five that are closed seasonally (St. Ignace, Topinabee, Hebron, Ludington, and Hart) and one that is closed due to drainage issues (Chelsea).”