Updated: Eastbound Nancy Hanks Rest Area closed permanently; westbound to be renovated

Tuesday, the Indiana Department of Transportation announced the Nancy Hanks Rest Area on eastbound I-64, located at mile marker 59, is closed; westbound remains open.

According to INDOT, the Nancy Hanks Rest Area on the westbound side of I-64 will be updated in the future. The eastbound location is closed permanently. (This is a correction to the story that previously stated the eastbound location was closed for renovations.)

This closure comes following the completion of the Black River welcome center.

The closure is part of INDOT’s 10-year plan to improve interstate rest areas and welcome centers statewide by modernizing facilities, constructing new buildings, improving parking, and converting some to semitruck-only parking. Plans call for an investment of more than $600 million in improvements to 21 rest areas, welcome centers, and truck parking facilities across Indiana by the end of 2034.

INDOT operates 26 rest area or welcome center facilities on Indiana’s interstate highways in 17 areas across the state. Nine locations have facilities on both sides of the interstate, and eight sites are located on only one side of the highway.

Each INDOT rest area or welcome center is designed to provide a relaxing, informative oasis along the nearby interstate.

INDOT’s rest areas and welcome centers have parking areas allotted for cars, buses, and recreational vehicles — and more than 1,400 spaces allocated for semitractor-trailer trucks. When completed, INDOT’s improvement plan is projected to add more than 1,200 additional semitrailer parking spaces to facilities statewide.

Each rest area facility includes various buildings, restroom facilities, water fountains, picnic areas, vending services, numerous other site amenities, driving information, and a variety of tourism- and traveler-related services.

Interstate rest areas and welcome centers are regulated by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Since FHWA funds are used to build rest areas, federal laws govern their use. Federal law prohibits the commercialization and privatization of rest areas. Federal law also prohibits access to the rest areas/welcome centers from a private business or commercial location as well as access from a local road, either by vehicle or a pedestrian walkway