Major travel center planned just off I-44 in Mt. Vernon

Sometime in November, Wilmoth Companies will begin construction on a new travel center to be located just south of I-44 along Highway 39 and Schweiger Drive in Mount Vernon.

The Center, when finished, will include a large convenience store, a Wendy’s, a Subway, laundry facilities and 48-gasoline-fueling stations. The Center will also include 200 places for truckers to park.

Brent Wilmoth, Wilmoth co-president of sales and marketing, says the new center is going to be a large draw for travelers of all types.

The gas canopy alone is going to be about the size of a football field.

“At the current time, our plans are to leave both locations open,” he said. “We’re going to leave the existing location open in a smaller setting, and open the brand-new travel center (south of I-44). Our intentions are to have more of our travel center location on the south side of the interstate, and (the current travel center) be more of a smaller, in-and-out type offering; not as many amenities here when we get that one opened up. This is going to be more of a fuel stop.”

The company’s Greg Wilmoth says the new travel center will greatly benefit Mt. Vernon and the surrounding area.

“We see this as a tremendous opportunity for our community” he said. “We think it will be a draw. It will be the biggest travel center in the nation being built during this period of time. It’s going to be a destination-type stop.”

The new travel center is expected to be completed and in operation by Jan. 1, 2023.
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