Northeast Ohio rest stop renovations coming soon. If you gotta go, you might have to hold it

Ideastream Public Media | By Jonathan Beard

Published October 10, 2025 at 4:49 PM EDT

The current Summit County rest area along I-77 was originally built in 1986. The areas for the northbound and southbound lanes are being rebuilt in a project expected to last year.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is shutting down a pair of highway rest areas in Summit County and two more in Lake County for a year-long overhaul beginning Oct. 14.

The stops along I-77 in Bath Township and I-90 in Concord are the latest in a statewide effort to update 36 stops across the state. The areas will be demolished, then rebuilt, according to Justin Chesnic, public information officer for ODOT.

"This is part of Gov. DeWine's initiative," Chesnic said, " ... These rest areas are going to be re-imagined and built into a lodge-style rest area so they'll have, you know some nice tourism information in the area."

In addition to expanded amenities, the rest stops will contain tourist information about Ohio and play music by artists from the state according to Chesnic. The move is meant to catch the attention of travelers.

"We want people to have a safe place to stop, rest and refresh," Chesnic said, "but while putting that tourism information in those rest areas, maybe we can convince them to stick around a little bit."

Chesnic advises drivers in need of food or facilities will need to get off the freeway.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is in the midst of a multi-year project to update highway rest areas around the state.

"Once these are closed off, no one's going to have access to the building or the parking lot," Chesnic said, "just the contractor that's doing the work."

The rest areas will likely reopen next fall according to Chesnic.

"Late next year when these reopen, they're going to be a nice rest area, [with] comfortable, ample restrooms, vending machines, areas outside if you want to walk your dog, a storybook trail if you want to walk through there with your kids," Chesnic said.

He said rest area updates have already been completed in Portage County along I-76 and in Ashtabula County along I-90.

"I think we're kind of entering the final phase of the project here where most of them that were supposed to be rebuilt or have either been rebuilt or we're entering that final phase where they're starting construction here soon," Chesnic said.

Summit County's Bath Township rest area was originally built in 1986, according to a press release from ODOT.