State transportation officials say heavily-used rest areas on I-44 in southwest Missouri’s Conway are temporarily closed, after a cleaning contractor tested positive for COVID-19.
A deep cleaning is underway at both the eastbound and westbound rest areas at Conway, which is a town of about 800 residents. Conway is about 40 miles northeast of Springfield and about 15 miles southwest of Lebanon.
Thousands of truckers use those rest areas each month, while hauling freight across the country.
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) says an employee with the company that cleans Missouri’s welcome centers and rest areas has tested positive for the coronavirus. That employee recently cleaned the Conway rest areas.
MoDOT says the company that cleans Missouri’s rest areas and welcome centers, DBi, notified the agency about the positive test on Thursday. MoDOT immediately closed both the eastbound and westbound rest areas at Conway.
MoDOT says the westbound rest area is being cleaned and disinfected first, and is set to reopen on Saturday. Once it opens, the eastbound rest area will be cleaned and disinfected, and should reopen on Sunday. State officials say the welcome centers are being cleaned following CDC guidance, and that the deep cleaning is being performed at no cost to MoDOT.
Parking is still available at both rest areas, and DBi has also installed portable toilets at both locations.
MoDOT says Missouri maintains eight welcome centers, 14 rest areas and 23 truck-only parking sites on seven interstates across the state.
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