Indiana’s New I-64 Black River Welcome Center Is the Pit Stop Upgrade Drivers Want

I'm a big fan of rest areas/welcome centers, and not just because they have restrooms and snack machines. (Actually, those snack machine snacks are overpriced, so that's actually not a reason for me.)

No, it's pretty simple. I'm a big fan of the very reason they exist, and that's to give us drivers an opportunity to stretch our legs, chill for a bit, and load up on brochures.

New I-64 Indiana Welcome Center

Yes, I'm one of the reasons tourism commissions festoon welcome centers with brochures, and I'm looking forward to seeing the selections at the awesomely-named Black River Welcome Center. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) was on hand for the ribbon-cutting on Thursday.

The new welcome center features new facilities, as well as 60 more spots for truck parking.

Indiana Rest Areas

I've traveled the interstate highways of Indiana countless times; I doubt there's been a month in my life when I haven't been in the Hoosier State at least once. And, as I mentioned earlier, I count on those rest areas for the exact purpose they exist. But over the last few years, I've noticed a number of them were completely shut down or in disrepair. Also, their age was quite evident.

Indiana Welcome Center Project

In fact, I'm not exactly sure how old the pre-update welcome centers were, but judging from the architecture and decor, I'm guessing the early 70s. And that's the main reason for the $600 million statewide modernization project that has already brought massive upgrades to welcome centers in DeMotte, Indiana, and West Terre Haute. The latter, the Clear Creek Welcome Center, is Indianapolis 500-themed.

Sure, they're welcome centers, but they can be tourist attractions, too. I'm not an Indiana resident, but, as a fan of such roadside stops, this has my full support, for what it's worth.