Cook County I-75 rest stops closing for renovations

TIFTON – Travelers headed to Florida this spring and summer might want to squeeze in a restroom break before heading down Interstate 75. The Georgia Department of Transportation says rest areas for north- and southbound traffic in Cook County will close March 27 for about five months.

GDOT officials say the rests areas between exits 45 and 49 will close at 8 a.m. that day for construction work. Closing the facilities will avoid possible injuries to the public and allow the work to be completed more expeditiously, officials said. Construction is scheduled to be finished by Aug. 24.

The $2.2 million project, funded from GDOT’s logo signage program, will include repairs to the sewage treatment systems, parking lots, sidewalks and picnic canopies. The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems will be replaced, as will roofs and gutters. Panels will be installed to the underside of breezeway trusses to prevent bird nesting. All lighting will be converted to LED.

Restroom improvements will include installation of occupancy sensors to lighting, replacement of toilet fixtures with automatic flush valves, and replacement of floor tile, counters, mirrors, electric hand dryers and partitions. Walls and ceilings will be repaired and repainted.

The contractor is Quillian Powell Construction Co. Inc. of Valdosta. The logo fund comes from businesses that pay a participation fee to advertise their services on the blue signs posted near interstate exits.