The New Bluestone Travel Plaza on the West Virginia Turnpike
The bluestone travel plaza on the West Virginia Turnpike is one of the state’s swankiest rest stops. Situated at milepost 18 in Mercer County, it features an Exxon gas station, Blimpie, Starbucks, Hershey’s and Uno Pizza restaurants as well as a scenic overlook and picnic area.
Though a bit pricey compared to some of the other options in the area, this site is worth visiting for its amenities.
Aside from newly renovated parking spaces and restrooms, the bluestone plaza will boast an expanded food concept with a 24-hour Mountain State Market convenience store. Other upgrades include outdoor dining options, electric vehicle charging stations and even an integrated tourist information center.
This redesign will save time for drivers and their passengers. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to enhance and highlight Parkways Authority Tourist Information Centers through various methods, such as installing LED displays on the ceiling.
There’s likely to be some traffic disruption as construction crews get to work, but soon these travel plazas will become the new benchmark for highway rest stops.
The West Virginia Parkways Authority is embarking on a multi-million dollar renovation of three iconic travel plazas along the Turnpike. This includes replacing all three structures, creating the state’s first drive-thru travel plaza in Beckley and installing an augmented reality app to allow tourists to order food within their driving distance. Although this project is expected to take years to complete, it should provide a major boost for tourism in West Virginia.
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