EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Two new rest areas along Interstate 10 in Culberson County are now open, the Texas Department of Transportation El Paso District announced.
The “safety rest areas,” as TxDOT calls them, are 9 miles outside of Van Horn and will replace older rest stops that are 4 miles from Van Horn, the agency announced.
A ceremonial ribbon cutting was held on Friday, May 31, and the rest areas opened on Saturday, June 1.
Photos courtesy of Lauren Macias-Cervantes/TxDOT
“Driver fatigue is a major cause of serious traffic crashes across the state,” said Brent Johnson, TxDOT roadside facilities section director. “Our safety rest areas are strategically placed on the highway system to help drivers fight fatigue by enticing them to stop, rest, and enjoy amenities before continuing with their trips.”
Careful consideration went into location, design, context, and construction, TxDOT said.
“We are looking forward to opening the Culberson County safety rest areas that not only will help make for safer trips with state-of-the-art amenities, but also highlight the historical regional importance to everyone that stops by. This includes educational exhibits on the Butterfield Overland Mail Coach Trail, the Guadalupe Mountains, and contributions to space travel with Blue Origin,” said El Paso District Engineer Tomas Trevino. “I’m sure many visitors will also appreciate the shaded playground and available Wi-Fi.”
In addition to being the newest of the 76 rest areas in the state, the facilities are also two of the largest with 58 truck and 27 car parking spaces on each side, TxDOT said.
In the near future, the safety rest areas will form part of the I-10 Truck Parking Availability System that will provide truck drivers real-time information on public truck parking sites along I-10, TxDOT said.
“As someone who drives the I-10 corridor frequently, I am especially excited about the additional spaces for commercial vehicles that I often see parked in widened areas of the interstate or along access ramps,” Trevino said.
While there are walking paths around the facilities, visitors are reminded of the natural desert environment and they should watch for wildlife.
Under Texas law, visitors can stay up to 24 hours.
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