The Interstate 95 rest area and welcome center in Robeson County will be getting a new modern building, thanks to the $4.6 million contract awarded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The current rest area opened 25 years ago, and the separate welcome center building dates back to the late 1960s.
A contractor will demolish the current center, the rest area, and vending building and replace them under one roof. The new welcome center will be 6,500-square feet and will feature energy-efficient lighting, plumbing, heating and air conditioning.
The NCDOT closed the rest area exit, located 5 miles north of the North Carolina-South Carolina line, earlier this year. Since then, the department has been doing parking lot repairs and other upgrades.
The next rest area on I-95 North is 43 miles away in Cumberland County, where the welcome center was relocated into a smaller space until completion of the new building.
In the last year, the Robeson County welcome center estimated 1.1 million visitors.
The Advanced Contractors Academy, a free six-week program, is designed for established contractors ready to pursue larger-scale public contracts with agencies such as Fayetteville State University (FSU), Cumberland County and Cape Fear Valley Health.
Today, Hungry Snacks Vending operates 140 machines across North Carolina, with locations ranging from schools to public transit stations.
A total of 84 interns participated in this year’s My Future So Bright program. At the graduation ceremony held on Aug. 1, each student was able to receive their graduation certificates from Mid-Carolina Regional Council Executive Director Saman