Restroom facilities at the Interstate 64 eastbound and westbound Charlottesville Safety Rest Areas in Albemarle County will undergo extended maintenance starting Friday, requiring the use of temporary restroom facilities at both rest areas through September 2023.
Both rest areas will remain open at all times, to include parking and all other amenities.
Portable restrooms will be available initially, for approximately 30 days. These will be replaced by trailer-based restrooms, which will be in place until the maintenance project is complete. All temporary facilities will include handicapped-accessible restrooms and handwashing stations. Water fountains will remain operational.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is starting a planned $3.9 million project to replace the existing mineral oil-based filtration systems that operate restroom facilities at both Charlottesville rest areas. Due to the system’s current condition, this scheduled project has been accelerated to occur sooner than anticipated, and temporary restrooms must be used while the new system is installed.
When these rest areas opened in 1979, the rural setting prevented connecting with a municipal water supply, or installing a traditional septic system. Using a mineral oil-based system to process waste reduced the amount of water required to operate the facilities, while providing a safe location for motorists to stop that is convenient to the interstate. The new system will use recycled, non-potable water instead of oil.
The I-64 Eastbound Charlottesville rest area is located at mile marker 105, and the I-64 Westbound Charlottesville rest area is located at mile marker 113.
Message boards will be positioned along I-64 in advance of both rest areas to alert travelers that starting Friday, only temporary restroom facilities are available.
Virginia has 43 Safety Rest Areas statewide, and 11 are joint Safety Rest Areas and Welcome Centers.
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Chris Graham
