I-71 rest areas to be converted into semi truck parking facilities in $6.8 million project by Ohio DOT

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) will soon shutter a pair of rest areas along I-71 in order to convert them into truck parking facilities.

On Tuesday, ODOT announced that it will close the existing north and southbound I-71 rest areas in Medina County starting on March 2, 2026.

ODOT will spend approximately $6.8 million to convert the rest areas into truck parking facilities with lighting and restrooms.

The project will expand truck parking at the I-71 northbound location from 10 to 29 truck parking spaces.

At the I-71 southbound location, truck parking will increase from 20 to 66 spaces.

“There are additional rest areas within 30 miles of this location and upgrading these rest areas would have required a significant investment,” said ODOT District 3 Deputy Director Bob Weaver. “Converting them to truck parking will help to improve safety for all motorists along the I-71 corridor.”

ODOT says that around 3,000 trucks pass the I-71 rest areas in Medina County each day.

The I-71 rest area project is part of a larger effort announced last year to spend $150 million to build more than 1,400 new truck parking spaces at 33 ODOT-owned locations in Ohio by the end of 2027.

“ODOT estimates freight volume will increase 26% by 2045. Ohio is a trucking hub due to the state’s location within a day’s drive of 60% of the U.S. and Canadian population and reliable and vast highway network,” the agency said.