PHOENIX – As truckers race across the country to keep food on the shelves, and haul other essentials during the current public health situation, the Arizona Department of Transportation has temporarily reopened two long-shuttered northern Arizona rest areas to support them.
REMINDER: All 27 rest areas continue to be open. However, to further support commercial drivers, we have temporarily reopened two long-shuttered rest areas on I-40 and I-17 for truckers only! You can read more about it here: https://t.co/5RBCNgYyH pic.twitter.com/Dr2BVVPKXx
— Arizona DOT (@ArizonaDOT) April 4, 2020
The Parks Rest Area along Interstate 40 west of Flagstaff (milepost 182) and the Christensen Rest Area on Interstate 17 south of Flagstaff (milepost 324) offer parking, portable toilets and handwashing stations exclusively for commercial vehicle drivers.
The Parks and Christensen rest areas are only available to commercial vehicles. Other ADOT rest areas remain open for all travelers, with staff following enhanced sanitation protocols including regularly wiping down frequently touched surfaces.
With services available in and around Flagstaff, and along I-40 and I-17, Christensen closed in 2002 and Parks closed in 2009.There are no plans to reopen either rest area permanently.