Missouri rest stop honored with Transportation Award

Blending modern, environmentally friendly technology with historical Route 66 memorabilia and atmosphere, a new rest stop on Interstate 44 near Conway, Mo., has earned accolades from America’s Transportation Awards.

The new $10.8 million I-44 Conway Welcome Center opened this summer with a new larger building including a tourist information center, triple the truck parking that it had before, better lighting, a playground and pet walk areas. Sections of the old Route 66 parallel I-44, so the center also features display boards about the Mother Road, 1950s-era neon signs out front, an inlay on a terrazzo floor tracing the route across eight states, and several picnic shelters that resemble buildings once found along Route 66.

Because the facility was completed a month ahead of schedule and $3 million under budget, it was honored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, which sponsored America’s Transpor-tation Awards in conjunction with AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The winners were selected by a panel of national judges who represented transportation, safety, engineering and research.

The awards program also honored the rest stop for its green technology, including automatic, low-volume sinks and toilets with motion sensors; a ground-source heat pump system for heating, air conditioning and hot water; wind-generated electricity to power the lights over the information counters; energy-efficient lighting; and a modern wastewater treatment system.