In the Commonwealth of Virginia, lots of folks, and most certainly many truck drivers, were understandably upset when then Governor Tim Kaine shut down several rest stops in the summer of ‘09 to save the state money. At the time, gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell pledged to reopen every last one of them within 90 days of taking office if elected.

And Governor McDonnell has started to fulfill his promise. In mid-February, four rest areas along Interstate 81, a major trucking corridor in the state, were “de-shuttered.” 15 more rest stops will be open for business around mid-April.

“As a former governor, I understand the difficult budget challenges that Virginia faces, but I was deeply concerned that safety rest areas were the wrong place to cut funds,” said American Truckings Association President Bill Graves according to The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina.