Rest stops under fire as Labor Day weekend nears
[September 04, 2026]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – Illinois motorists are paying more in gas taxes,
tolls and other fees while encountering closed rest stops, prompting
criticism from Americans for Prosperity-Illinois State Director Brian
Costin.
In a social media video, Ted Dabrowski said he found multiple closed
rest areas while traveling to an event in Effingham and returning north.
“We stop at this rest stop and guess what? No surprise, the building
closed,” Dabrowski said.
He said the I-57 Prairie View rest stop was open, but Mainline Station
was closed and had been for some time. An Illinois Department of
Transportation worker told him the building’s septic system and air
conditioning were not working.
Dabrowski also said the Illini Prairie rest area was open, while other
stops along the route were closed.
“Illinois lawmakers are taxing the heck out of us and yet they can’t
even keep our public rest stops open,” he said.
Costin said the closures illustrate a broader problem with Illinois’
transportation spending, arguing that the state has failed to deliver
improvements that match the additional costs imposed on drivers.
“Where has all that money gone?” Costin said.
Costin pointed to the state’s gas tax, which he said has increased
significantly under Gov. J.B. Pritzker, while road conditions have not
improved at a comparable rate.
He said Illinois residents should expect better infrastructure when they
are paying some of the highest transportation-related taxes and fees in
the country.
“We’re not getting our money’s worth,” Costin said.
Costin also criticized the condition and availability of Illinois
highway rest areas, many of which are temporarily closed while
undergoing renovation or replacement.
“I travel the state’s roads, and you see rest stops closed for what
seems like years and years,” he said.
He said lengthy closures add another inconvenience for motorists and
argued that maintaining roads, bridges and rest areas should be a
priority for state officials.
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“The people of Illinois are further inconvenienced by construction
lasting seemingly forever on different roads, and the rest stops
being closed,” Costin said.
The Illinois Department of Transportation has been undertaking a
multiyear effort to renovate, rebuild and replace aging rest areas.
Some facilities have been temporarily closed during construction,
while others have been permanently shuttered as part of the state’s
broader modernization efforts.
Costin argued that the state needs to demonstrate tangible
improvements before asking motorists to pay more.
He also criticized recent toll increases and upcoming
transportation-related tax increases, saying Illinois continues to
increase the cost of driving without adequately addressing
infrastructure conditions.
Costin placed responsibility for the state’s transportation spending
on Pritzker and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly.
He said the state’s spending priorities are out of balance and
argued that Illinois officials should focus on providing basic
services and maintaining infrastructure before increasing taxes and
fees.
Costin also criticized Pritzker’s recent affordability messaging,
pointing to tax and toll increases as evidence that Illinois
residents continue to face rising costs.
“It is shocking to me that this governor can go around with a
straight face and tell people he’s making things more affordable,”
Costin said.
He said Illinois’ transportation and fiscal challenges ultimately
come down to whether taxpayers are seeing a meaningful return on the
money they send to state and local governments.
“If he is going to continue to demand that the people of Illinois
pay 154 percent more than they were before he came into office, then
we need to see the results,” Costin said. “And we’re not seeing the
results.”
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