The Ohio Turnpike has taken a step in the right direction toward easing a statewide parking problem by opening two remodeled truck stops.

The Blue Heron and Wyandot Service Plazas, located at mile marker 76.9 on the turnpike in Sandusky County, reopened on Monday, May 23. The plazas were closed for a $26 million reconstruction in March 2004 as part of the Turnpike’s Capital Improvement Program.

Amenities in the new stops include a number of restaurants, a trucker business center with wireless computer access, double the number of showers and restrooms and a laundry facility. Ten additional truck parking spots have also been added to the stops’ original 83 spaces.

In a 2002 federal study of commercial parking by the Federal Highway Administration, Ohio was classified as having a shortage of overall spaces, ranking 40th out of all 50 states.