DANBURY -- Starting Monday, drivers traveling through our state will now have access to rest area buildings 24/7 instead of just seven hours a day.
“It is a big deal because it sends the message to people that Connecticut, we want you here we want you to state here we want you to open your business here,” Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said.
It’s one of the new changes taking effect on Monday with the two-year state budget of $43 billion.
The buildings were only open seven hours a day, which saved the state about $1 million annually. But Governor Ned Lamont said he wants Connecticut to be more welcoming than that.
“I want to make sure people know when they come to Connecticut we welcome them. We want them to look at our state and see it for all its beauty,” Lamont said.
He said he also wanted drivers to be able to stop and take a break at any hour when driving through our state.
“It gives us an opportunity travelers and opportunity to stop and catch their breath and then obviously there is personal reasons for stopping also,” Pete Carter said.
The budget will allocate $1.7 million to the rest areas and the state will hire 28 additional rest area attendants.