Announcement of rest stop expansion on I-90 brings federal highway boss to Sparta area

A busy interstate rest stop near Sparta is about to get much bigger.

State and federal highway officials gathered at the westbound I-90 wayside west of Sparta on Friday, to celebrate a grant of $8 million to rebuild and expand the rest area. The ceremony included remarks from Shailen Bhatt, the administrator of the Federal Highway Administration.

On a typical day, more than 100 truck drivers reportedly keep going to another wayside down the road, when they can’t find an open parking space among the 16 spots at the Sparta location near mile 20.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is giving a grant to the Wisconsin DOT, to increase the number of spaces at the wayside to 70. The money would also be used to replace the restroom area, said to be one of the earliest that opened in Wisconsin during the early days of the interstate system, built originally in the 1950’s.