Montville Service Plaza Reopens with Two New Food Outlets
A popular rest stop for Southeastern Connecticut travelers finally reopened Friday, November 14, after being closed for 13 months for renovations.
The Montville Service Plaza, located on I-395 southbound between exits 79 and 79A, will feature Subway and Dunkin’ Donuts along with Mobil-branded gasoline and diesel fuel and a Mobil Mart convenience store with a Citibank ATM. All amenities are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
It is the only rest stop in New London County offering food and fuel services and for the first-time will offer fresh-food offerings. It had closed Oct. 9, 2012 for extensive renovations.
It is “a soft opening with no celebration. We’ll most likely have a Grand Opening in a month or so after we get up and running for a period of time,” said Mike Modine, Director of Operations for Project Service, LLC, the Milford-based contractor responsible for renovating this and the state’s other 22 highway service plazas on Interstates 95, 395, and Route 15 (Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways).
it is the twelfth of 23 service plazas in Connecticut to be completely renovated.
The opening comes after Project Service reopened the I-95 Branford Northbound plaza on Sept. 25. That plaza was closed for renovations since April 17, 2012. It features McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Subway while Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon are coming soon.
According to a press release from Project Service, “Branford Northbound, as well as the other plazas that have been or will be renovated, has a series of “green” features. The Service Plaza will qualify to operate to “Silver LEED” standards. The Branford facility will utilize photovoltaic solar panels, which decreases its dependence on traditional power sources. Each service plaza will also have facilities for single-stream recycling and idle-reduction technology for tractor trailers. Other environmentally conscious features include, water efficient rest rooms, energy efficient insulation and lighting, state-of-the-art and super efficient heating and air conditioning units, as well as charging stations for electric cars at some of the Darien and Milford Service Plazas.”
The press release also stated: “We are committed to creating environmentally friendly service plazas, while also providing great food choices, clean restrooms, fuel and convenience,” said Paul Landino, President and CEO of Project Service. “We have had great success with the service plazas we have completed so far, and look forward to serve those traveling on Connecticut’s highways as we work to renovate the remaining service plazas in the state.”
In addition to the Branford plaza, other plazas that have reopened after extensive renovations are in Milford and Darien on I-95, North Haven and Fairfield on Route 15, and Plainfield on I-395.
The press release stated that the most recent service plazas that have closed for renovations were I-95 Fairfield Southbound and I-95 Madison Northbound.
I-95 Fairfield Southbound plaza closed on Sept. 23 and is slated for a Fall 2014 reopening featuring Subway, McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, Alltown Convenience Store, and Statement Gift Shop.
The I-95 Madison Northbound plaza closed on Sept. 25 and is scheduled to be reopened in Winter 2014. It will have a Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Alltown Convenience Store.
“The Madison Southbound (plaza) will close after Branford Southbound opens. We hope to open Branford winter of 2014,” Modine said.
