Closed Route 11 rest stop to see new life
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A decommissioned rest area along state Route 11 on the border of Columbiana and Mahoning counties will reopen to truck traffic by summer 2028.
The expansion of state-provided truck parking is part of a DeWine administration initiative started in 2024.
The Ohio Department of Transportation, which is heading the project, said truckers travelled 27.3 million miles on state roads in 2023. The department expects freight volume to jump 26% in 20 years.
"By law, truck drivers are required to be off duty for rest after a certain number of worked hours," ODOT says on its website. "Currently, truck drivers park at rest areas, decommissioned highway weigh stations, truck stops, and gas stations. When those options aren't available, they go searching, often settling along a highway shoulder or ramp."
Before construction starts, the agency obtained a stormwater permit on Sept. 11 from the state Environmental Protection Agency.
Plans submitted to the EPA show an outline of the proposed facility on top of the closed rest area. The location is alongside the northbound lane of state Route 11 in Beaver Township. According to ODOT paperwork, construction will begin Feb. 1. The estimated completion date is June 30, 2028.
"As part of Gov. DeWine’s truck parking initiative, they want to put truck parking facilities along routes that have freight throughout the state," said Justin Chesnic, ODOT District 4 public information officer. "These are very basic facilities. There will be parking spots for trucks, and there will be pit latrine bathrooms. It’ll have walls, and it’ll have the toilet and paper products.
"But it won’t have running water."
The proposed plan shows 52 parking spaces.
Truck parking construction will occur at 33 sites in 18 counties. The goal is to create 1,400 new spaces. Construction statewide started in the spring and will continue through summer 2028. The overall cost is $104,070,000.
"It looks like Mahoning County is going to be awarded to a contractor sometime in December," Chesnic said. "(Each project) is averaging anywhere from $4 million to $8 million, depending on how big they are and how many spots."
Motorists other than truckers can enter the area. Just don't expect anything fancy.
"If a regular motorist says, 'I got to stop,' they’re not going to have an issue," Chesnic said.