2 two open rest areas along I-10 near Van Horn

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Two new rest areas along Interstate 10 in Culberson County are now open, the Texas Department of Transportation El Paso District announced.

The “safety rest areas,” as TxDOT calls them, are 9 miles outside of Van Horn and will replace older rest areas located 4 miles outside of Van Horn, the agency said.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Friday, May 31 and the rest areas opened on Saturday, June 1.

“Driver fatigue is a leading cause of serious traffic accidents across the state,” said Brent Johnson, director of TxDOT’s Highway Facilities Section. “Our safety rest areas are strategically placed on the road network to help drivers combat fatigue by encouraging them to stop, rest and enjoy amenities before continuing their journey.

Careful attention was paid to location, design, context and construction, TxDOT said.

“We look forward to opening the Culberson County Safety Rest Areas, which will not only help make travel safer with state-of-the-art amenities, but also highlight the area's historical significance for all those who visit. 'stop there. This includes educational exhibits on the Butterfield Overland Mail Coach Trail, the Guadalupe Mountains and contributions to space travel with Blue Origin,” said El Paso District Engineer Tomas Trevino. “I’m sure many visitors will also appreciate the shaded playground and available Wi-Fi.”

In addition to being the newest of the state's 76 rest areas, the facilities are also two of the largest with 58 truck parking spaces and 27 car parking spaces on each side, TxDOT said.

In the near future, the safety rest areas will be part of the I-10 Truck Parking Availability System which will provide truck drivers with real-time information about public truck parking lots along I-10, a marked TxDOT.

“As someone who frequently travels the I-10 corridor, I am particularly excited about the additional spaces for commercial vehicles that I often see parked in the widened areas of the highway or along the on-ramps,” he said. Trevino said.

Although there are walking trails around the facilities, visitors are reminded of the natural desert environment and should keep an eye out for wildlife.

According to Texas law, visitors can stay up to 24 hours.