Two Missouri rest areas permanently closing next week, to reopen in fall 2023 as truck parking

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is shuttering two rest area locations next week for construction to convert them into commercial parking facilities.

On the morning of Thursday, March 16, MoDOT will permanently close the southbound Platte County I-29 (Dearborn) and Clinton County I-35 (Lathrop) rest areas. The closure includes parking.

During the closures, crews will remove the current rest area buildings and add additional commercial vehicle parking and vault toilets.

The $3.8 million project is expected to be completed by October 2023.

According to MoDOT, up to 35% of the annual daily traffic on Missouri’s interstates are commercial vehicles. Of the 141 sites near an interstate in Missouri, 87 are at or above capacity at the peak hour between 2 and 3 a.m. An additional 23 are between 80-100% full.

“When truckers can’t find parking off the road, they resort to parking on the interstate access ramps and this creates a safety hazard,” said Marty Liles, MoDOT northwest district engineer. “By converting the rest areas to truck parking, we’re able to help meet the needs of commercial vehicles while decreasing the costs associated in the renovation and upkeep of traditional rest areas.”

MoDOT currently maintains seven welcome centers, 14 rest areas and 24 truck-only parking sites on seven interstates throughout Missouri.