The Interstate 95 rest area/welcome center near the North Carolina-Virginia border will close at month’s end to undergo a major renovation.
The majority of the renovation will occur inside the rest area and to the exteriors of the rest area and welcome center buildings. All major fixtures, such as lighting, sinks, toilets and urinals will be replaced and a more energy-efficient heating and cooling system will be installed. The floor will be replaced with more durable epoxy terrazzo that will have insets of the state flower (dogwood) and state bird (cardinal). A new roof will go on the rest area and welcome center. Outside, wider sidewalks, a new fountain and seat walls will be built as part of the project’s landscaping renovation.
“We are trying to give travelers more room to get in and out of the building and to sit and rest for a few minutes and maybe enjoy the day,” said Jimmy Parrish, who supervises the Rest Area Section for the N.C. Department of Transportation. “That’s what rest areas are for – to recharge your batteries and to be alert before getting back onto the highway.”
The rest area opened in 1968 as the state’s second interstate rest area/welcome center. The buildings were last renovated in 1995. The Department typically renovates rest areas every 20 to 25 years. Last year, more than 1.2 million people stopped at the Northampton County rest area/welcome center.
Calvin Davenport Inc. of Rocky Mount will do the work after NCDOT awarded it a $2.4 million contract in February. The project tentatively will start March 31 when the rest area closes, and it’s scheduled to reopen December 16.
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