Christie: Rest Stops Along NJ Turnpike, Garden State Parkway Getting Makeovers
WALL TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) – Gov. Chris Christie says New Jersey's aging rest stops along the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway are getting a makeover.
The governor made the announcement Wednesday at the Monmouth travel plaza in Wall.
Christie said the state has agreed to give food service firm HMS Host and Sunoco a 25-year contract in exchange for $250 million in renovations.
"We will extend our contracts to continue having them operate the food and fuel concessions on the turnpike and the parkway for the next 25 years," he said.
Christie said many of the plazas date back to the 1950s. He said the work should be done by 2024, and some rest stops could be closed.
"Under the agreement, HMS Host and Sunoco will invest more than $250 million in capital improvements to the service area buildings and facilities at no cost to the Turnpike Authority, the toll payers or the tax payers," he said.
The governor's office said those due for makeovers include the Vince Lombardi, Thomas Edison, Joyce Kilmer, Walt Whitman, Clara Barton, and John Fenwick service areas on the turnpike and the Forked River and Monmouth service plazas on the parkway.
The new buildings will total between $10 million and $15 million apiece.
The Thomas Edison and Monmouth facilities are the first scheduled to be replaced, according to the governor's office. Construction on those is set to begin next year and be completed in 2019.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
