AUGLAIZE COUNTY, Ohio – Rest areas along Interstate 75 are slated for improvement.
As part of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) statewide re-imagined rest area project, the I-75 north and southbound rest areas in Auglaize County will close on Monday, July 7, for complete replacement.
The reimagined rest area project is part of a statewide initiative announced by Governor Mike DeWine in 2023 to update 36 rest areas throughout the state. The state has 83 on major highways.
The rest areas, which are just north of the State Route 67 exit near Wapakoneta, will be completely renovated with new lodge-style buildings, including larger restrooms with adult changing tables, a lobby area with vending and regional tourism information, and attached and covered outdoor picnic areas. The new design includes landscape upgrades with Ohio native plants.
Once the rest areas close, the nearest facilities for northbound motorists will be in Hancock County, south of Findlay. The closest southbound facilities are the rest areas near Florence, Kentucky, off Interstate 71, as the facilities in Butler County, near Monroe, are also scheduled to close in July to be replaced.
“These will be brand new, lodge-style, and beautiful. “We will also be adding some additional truck parking,” said David Rose, ODOT chief communications officer.
According to ODOT, closing them all at once was a cost-effective solution.
“We bundle them in areas where we know the rest are closer, allowing us to get a better deal. We’re not going to have a contractor build one in, say, Butler County, and one in Belmont simply doesn’t make sense; the cost would skyrocket,” Rose explained.
ODOT understands that it will be inconvenient for truck drivers and motorists, but says that with travel centers along I-75 still available, the new rest areas with larger parking spaces will make it safer for trucks that previously had to park near entrance and exit ramps.
“They’re just a really, really great facility, and we’re excited for them, obviously, to reopen not only just for visitors but also for truck drivers,” Rose told me.
The rest area in Auglaize County is set to reopen in 2026. The Miami County rest area is still scheduled to reopen in Fall 2025.
