(WTWO/WAWV)– $32 million renovations will be coming to the Clear Creek Welcome Center off of I-70 this summer.
The rest stop, which sits right off of the Illinois-Indiana border, will get a completely new main building, as well as a number of other parking and lighting improvements around the rest area, according to Megan DeLucenay, a spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Transportation’s West-Central district.
“That project specifically is part of a statewide, 10-year improvement plan,” she said. “We’re going to improve interstate rest areas across the state, it’s an estimated $500 million investment. We’re expected to improve 21 locations, that’s statewide, by the end of the fiscal year 2023.”
The construction will start this summer, and finish either in fall of 2024 of spring of 2025, according to a variety of factors. DeLucenay detailed some of the changes that will be coming.
“We are planning to demolish and then completely rebuild the Clear Creek Welcome center,” she said. “The new welcome center, once completed, is expected to have two trucker restroom buildings. In each will be four individual restrooms. We’re going to have new sidewalks, curbs, gutter replacements, improved landscaping, parking and lighting.”
The new welcome center will have a theme inspired by Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While she didn’t yet have details for what this would entail, DeLucenay said rest steps across the state will get themes to showcase some of Indiana’s best features.
“We’re trying to create a destination for everybody that comes into the state. We want to welcome people, we want them to know what Indiana is all about, and specifically for the Clear Creek Welcome Center, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a big staple in Indiana, a lot of racing fans come into Indiana from all over the country,” she said.
DeLucenay said details on when closures could be expected would come as construction gets closer. Including renovations at around 20 additional rest areas, she said over 1,100 new parking spaces would be added by this project.
