First revamped Thruway rest area opens in Central NY. Which ones will open next?

Sarah Taddeo, New York State Team
·2 min read

New Yorkers got their first look at the revamped New York state Thruway rest areas last week as the Indian Castle rest area reopened between Utica and Albany.

The Thruway Authority announced in 2020 that all 27 service plazas along the 570-mile superhighway would get a massive facelift. They would be remodeled or reconstructed between 2021 and 2025 as part of a $450 million project, paid for by a consortium known as Empire State Thruway Partners.

The consortium will operate and improve the rest areas over the next 33 years, according to its contract, at no cost to state taxpayers.

A rendering of a new New York State Thruway service area. This is the proposed construction for the service areas at Chittenango, Junius Ponds and Indian Castle, which are slated to be completed in March 2022.
A rendering of a new New York State Thruway service area. This is the proposed construction for the service areas at Chittenango, Junius Ponds and Indian Castle, which are slated to be completed in March 2022.

The current service areas haven’t been fully redone since the 1990s, and the only meal options in most regions were classic fast food joints like McDonald’s, Burger King, Arby’s or Roy Rogers.

The new rest areas will include updated food options like Chick-fil-A, Panera Bread, Shake Shack, Popeyes and Panda Express. All locations will include an Applegreen market store, named for the Irish convenience store company that will operate the service plazas, and many will feature a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, some with a drive-thru.

What's for dinner?Chick-fil-A, Shake Shack are coming to these renovated NYS Thruway rest stops

Project unveiled New York's Thruway plazas will soon get a huge overhaul. See how they will look.

Motorists stopping at the newly reopened Indian Castle service area near Herkimer can choose between Popeyes, Starbucks and the Applegreen store for food and beverages.

The Chittenango Thruway service area is under construction and slated to reopen in March. It will include a Chick-fil-A restaurant, according to the fast food chain's website.
The Chittenango Thruway service area is under construction and slated to reopen in March. It will include a Chick-fil-A restaurant, according to the fast food chain's website.

The service area will also feature an outdoor patio with seating, a dog walking area, private nursing area and two electric vehicle chargers to be available at a later date, according to the Thruway Authority.

Two other rest areas − Chittenango, near Syracuse, and Junius Ponds in the Finger Lakes − are slated to open in the third quarter of 2022, meaning they should be open by the end of September.

Additionally, another eight service plazas are currently closed for construction, including:

  • Ardsley

  • Plattekill

  • New Baltimore (for both northbound and southbound motorists)

  • Iroquois

  • Clarence

  • Pembroke

  • Clifton Springs

  • Oneida

This artist's rendering shows what's in store for Thruway rest areas, which are set for a total overhaul as part of a $450 million deal approved May 12, 2020, by the NYS Thruway Authority.
This artist's rendering shows what's in store for Thruway rest areas, which are set for a total overhaul as part of a $450 million deal approved May 12, 2020, by the NYS Thruway Authority.

All of those are slated to open between the end of 2022 and Spring 2023, with the exception of Oneida, which is projected to open in Fall 2023.

Phases 2 and 3 of construction include rest areas that will reopen between 2023 and 2025. No two consecutive rest areas in either direction will be closed for construction at the same time.

The opening of the first round of service plazas was delayed by several months, likely due to global COVID-related supply chain issues cited by the Thruway Authority earlier this year. 

Sarah Taddeo is the New York State Team Editor for the USA Today Network. Contact Sarah at STADDEO@Gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Sjtaddeo. 

This article originally appeared on New York State Team: First revamped New York Thruway rest area opens in Central NY