PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has released a draft statewide rest area study that will serve as a blueprint for how the agency plans to address both short-term and long-term priorities for rest areas due to increasing commerce, tourism and population.

The study proposes how ADOT expects to preserve, rehabilitate, modernize and expand its 19 state-owned rest areas during the next 20 years based on factors including demand, federal requirements and projected available funding.

ADOT updates its statewide rest area plans every 10 years to capture the latest changes in the rapidly growing needs of the traveling public, the transportation industry, state and federal policies, technology and potential revenue. Since the last update in 2011, ADOT has completed major rehabilitations at 16 of its 19 rest areas.

The study does not call for adding or eliminating any rest areas. However, it does recommend reopening two previously-closed rest areas available for commercial truck parking only with limited amenities. Those rest areas are Parks on Interstate 40 just west of Flagstaff and Christensen on I-17 near Munds Park.

As part of the update process, ADOT is seeking public comment on the draft plan available on the study web page here. Comments can be submitted in several ways:

The comment period goes through March 27.