TxDOT opens two new Safety Rest Areas

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) opened two new Safety Rest Areas in Donley County with great fanfare and celebration Tuesday afternoon.

The twin rest areas on both sides of US 287 are located between Hedley and Giles and were built at a cost of about $10 million with a combination of federal and state money, a TxDOT official said.

Each facility features two sets of restrooms, a storm shelter, drinking fountains, telephones, a playground, and ample parking which separates cars and large trucks. Indoor kiosks feature displays of local history and locations of historical markers, local eating and lodging establishments, current weather conditions, and travel guides.

Rainwater from the roofs of the structures is collected and stored for irrigating the native plants that make up the landscaping. A lagoon system at the north rest area uses biological processes to treat wastewater and serves as a habitat for birds and other wildlife.

The main building at each site reflects the image of a train depot, and adjacent restroom and picnic facilities mirror passenger train cars. Hedley High School graduate Josh Collins sketched the original design for the facility while he was a member of the HHS chapter of Business Professionals of America.

“We thought it should have a railroad theme since the railroad was so important to the development of Clarendon, Hedley, Giles, and Memphis,” Collins said. “There is a lot more here than I thought there would be. I see a lot of my ideas, but it’s different from what I thought it would be.”

Following Collins’ concept, the facilities were professionally designed by Phillip Swager Associations and constructed by Sedalco, L.P. The Donley County Safety Rest Area has won the Excellence in Construction Award for North Texas.

The dedication of the facilities began with a barbecue for local dignitaries with the Hedley Lions Club serving more than 200 plates.

The official opening ceremony was preempted by a great “train robbery” in which actors from the Canadian Red River Regulators in period dress terrorized several accomplices and were then shot dead by a sheriff’s posse.

With law and order restored, the Honor Guard from the Wellington National Guard unit posted the colors, and the Hedley School Choir performed the National Anthem followed by an invocation from Bruce Howard.

TxDOT Childress District Engineer Craig Clark gave the welcome and said the rest area shows TxDOT at its best with regards to its mission to provide safe transportation for the people traveling Texas highways.

Representatives from State Sen. Robert Duncan’s and US Sen. John Cornyn’s offices spoke, and State Rep. Warren Chisum also praised the new facility.

County Judge Jack Hall gave a brief history of the settlement of Donley County. He addressed the importance of the influences of ranching, farming, the railroad, and the highway in the county’s development, and he noted that Giles was once one of the largest cattle shipping points in the state.

“Donley County was formed on the strong character of the people who live here,” Hall said.

Hall County Judge Jack Martin said the area is blessed to have both state and federal dollars spent on the Safety Rest Area, and he gave a long history of Hall County.

TxDOT Executive Director Michael W. Behrens said the new facility is intended to encourage drivers to stop and rest in order to reduce fatigue, which causes 100,000 accidents and 1,500 deaths each year.

Behrens then officially opened the facility by driving the customary golden spike in a replicated section of train tracks.

The Donley County Safety Rest Areas will be open 24 hours a day and will have round the clock security with cameras and people both watching the facility.