Drivers should plan ahead for the extended closure of two West Virginia travel plazas.
The Bluestone Travel Plaza and the Beckley Travel Plaza located on the West Virginia Turnpike will be closing for demolition and renovation to allow for upgrades and expansion of truck parking facilities, according to the West Virginia Department of Transportation.
The Bluestone Travel Plaza will fully close as of 7 a.m. Monday, July 8, 2024, including truck parking. The travel plaza will remain closed until the project is completed at the end of the year.
Diesel fueling and truck parking will also close at the Beckley Travel Plaza on Thursday, August 1, 2024, until the completion of construction.
Officials plan to add 10 truck parking spaces to the Bluestone Travel Plaza, bringing the total number of truck parking spaces to 79. Thirty-five truck parking spaces will be added to the Beckley facility, bringing the total number of truck parking spaces to 165.
The rebuilt travel plazas will also include “expanded food concepts, a 24/7 Mountain State Market convenience store, outdoor dining options, EV charging stations, separated vehicle and tractor-trailer fueling options, picnic area, and pet relief areas.”
“It’s necessary for the West Virginia Parkways Authority and general contractor, Paramount Builders, to fully close the Beckley and Bluestone travel plaza sites in order for the contractor to complete the site renovations in the areas that have remained open up to this point in the project,” said Jeff Miller, executive director of the Parkways Authority.
“This will certainly have an impact on diesel fuel customers at Beckley and those commercial truck drivers who use the site for overnight parking,” Miller said. “We recognize that, and want to assure the traveling public that when these sites are completed and reopened they will be able to enjoy world-class facilities, with expanded offerings over the previous facilities.”