PHEONIX, Arizona — If “Johnny B. Goode,” is the tune you find humming while motoring down the Grand Canyon State’s highways, a little relief is in sight. State officials say they’ll be reopening five of the 13 rest areas closed earlier due to budget cuts. Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) representatives say the crisis caused by a decline in tax revenues have “stabilized” somewhat, and the closures of rest areas that are in relatively good working order can be lifted.

In practice, this means rest areas near Ehrenberg, Sacaton, and San Simeon, all on Interstate 10, will join other rest area reopenings at Meteor Crater (Interstate 40), and Camoa Ranch (on Interstate 19). ADOT says the other eight rest areas closed because of budget constraints are problematic, due to repair issues. The state thinks it can half of them reopened this fall, but the remaining four may not come back on line in the foreseeable future.

Governor Jan Brewer thinks the answer to keeping any of the state’s rest areas open is to commercialize their operation–either by allowing private companies to vend at rest areas, or to turn their entire operation over to the private sector. Since the rest areas were built with federal highway funds, the US government would need to allow it to happen. Brewer has formally requested permission for that to happen.

While the state feels that privatization would be the best route to handle the public privies, the matter isn’t without controversy. A trade group called NATSO, which says its members include travel plazas and truck stops, firmly opposes the suggested “solution.” NATSO officials have openly expressed concerns that turning rest areas into commercial enterprises could jeopardize the livelihoods of commercial businesses located close to the freeways who depend on vehicle drivers for business. NATSO sent a letter expressing these concerns to Brewer, and it was consigned by other business owners, including those running fast food restaurants.

sources: www.ttnews, natso.com, azstarnet.com.  photo: adot