Motorists along Interstate 65 in Warren County who need a potty pit stop will have to use commercial facilities now.

The rest areas near Smiths Grove were closed last week and will be demolished in the next six to eight weeks by Charles Deweese Construction of Simpson County. Deweese will be paid $290,000 for the work.

“The demolition of the Warren County rest areas on I-65 this month is part of a long range plan developed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in 1996,” said Keirsten Jaggers, spokeswoman for the Department of Highways in Bowling Green. “It’s our goal to provide larger facilities with more parking availability to better accommodate travelers and commercial traffic. These facilities will be placed at approximately 65-mile intervals.”

Shane Blankenship, a former state Transportation Cabinet employee is the project manager now working for Deweese.

“Our goal is to leave something that is aesthetically pleasing,” Blankenship said. “We may have to remove three or four trees right around where the buildings are to get to them. We will generate enough fill to cover where the buildings were. We want the site to look natural once we are gone. So unless someone actually knew there was a rest area before, they wouldn’t know it when we get done.”

Blankenship said that before his crews began work late last week, the state removed nearly anything of value that could be recycled, including sinks, toilets, hand dryers, heating and cooling systems, vending machines and other items.

What is left has to go to an approved construction demolition landfill owned by Kenway Contracting in Warren County, he said.

The old I-65 rest stop buildings are concrete blocks with brick facade. The only wood in them is in the roofing systems, Blankenship said.

Demolition of the northbound rest area was first and work on the southbound facility is expected to begin Tuesday.

Jaggers said similar plans are in place for I-64 and I-75.