San Simon rest areas on Interstate 10 reopen

PHOENIX – Just in time for the Memorial Day weekend, the San Simon rest areas near the New Mexico state line on eastbound and westbound Interstate 10 have reopened.

The rest areas, which serve more than 430,000 drivers each year, had been closed since March 2015 for much-needed repairs, including the drilling of a new well.

Digging the well deep enough to reach enough good water is the reason the rest area was closed beyond its scheduled December opening, said Bobby Wheeler, rest area manager with the Arizona Department of Transportation.

“To reach water that can supply the eastbound and westbound rest areas, we had to drill more than 1,000 feet,” he said.

In addition to improving the water and septic systems, the project included upgrades to buildings in both rest areas and ensuring that all structures at the site comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

About 12,000 vehicles a day drive along I-10 at San Simon, about three miles west of the New Mexico state line.

A second rest area on I-10 in southeastern Arizona, Texas Canyon, is expected to reopen before the Fourth of July holiday. Texas Canyon, about 20 miles east of Benson at milepost 320, has been closed for repairs since December.