Special to the Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE —
The recent completion of the Twigg Rest Area facility provides travelers with a new place to stop and rest along the Historic National Road.
Located 13 miles east of the Indiana-Illinois border, the Twigg Rest Area and Trailhead is a historic roadside park that, in its original state, was used solely as a rest park for travelers along the Historic National Road in Vigo County.
Acquired by the Indiana State Highway Commission in 1935, the 1.41-acre site was closed in 1976 along with other rest areas in the state located along non-interstate routes.
Twenty years later, during the planning process for the National Road Heritage Trail, the City of Terre Haute recognized Twigg as an ideal trailhead for a rails-to-trails project. Together, these projects presented the opportunity to create an eastern “gateway” into Terre Haute and create a visitor destination worthy of National Scenic Byway and All-American Road status.
The cost of the new restrooms was $357,941.63, of which 80 percent was covered through National Scenic Byway and Transportation Enhancement funding. The restrooms open to the public today and are open daily from dawn until dusk.
Left unused for nearly 25 years, the U.S. 40 Twigg Rest Area has been brought back to life as a trailhead and a traditional roadside park for the National Road Heritage Trail. It is the only rest area/trailhead along the entire 156-mile length of Indiana’s Historic National Road.
