Stephanie Klein-Davis | The Roanoke Times

Virginia is considering closing rest areas along the interstates in order to save money, but others say the facilities are important to the state's visitors and to truck drivers.

The public can comment Tuesday on proposed cuts in highway spending that would close all four rest areas on Interstate 81 in Southwest Virginia, shutter a handful of maintenance and equipment centers and reduce care of roadsides.

Tuesday's meeting offers the public a chance to have a say on the third and final phase of a massive cost-cutting plan triggered by drops in state and federal transportation funding to support the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The cost-cutting targets a diverse category of activities that keep Virginia's roads open during storms, the roadsides well-groomed, litter and dead animals picked up and rest areas clean and operating.

To ensure safety, officials said, snow and ice clearance, incident response, signs, striping, lighting, and the care of pavement, bridges and tunnels will continue.

But the state that pushes tourism is prepared to do less for aesthetics and motorist comfort.

In June, VDOT officials intend to give the Commonwealth Transportation Board a budget that would set in motion specific service cuts which, if approved, will take effect July 1.

The statewide mowing budget could fall by about half to $20 million, under the proposal. Twenty-five of 41 of the agency's popular rest areas (including all four in the Roanoke and New River valleys) could be closed. And the state intends to spend less on the roving troubleshooters known as safety patrols who completed some 123,200 assists last year, 4,173 of them in Southwest Virginia in 2008.

Before completing the plan, David Ekern, VDOT commissioner, said officials want to hear from the public at 11 comment sessions to be held across the state.

The first will be 6 p.m. Tuesday at Northside Middle School, 6810 Northside High School Road in Roanoke County. Ekern and Richard Caywood, Salem District administrator, are expected to be present.

Tourism advocates, truckers and motorists want the rest stops to stay open.

"They provide a safe place to park, socialize with friends and families, as well as pick up information about the many assets, attractions and visitor services of the commonwealth," Megan Svajda, spokeswoman for the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association, said in a statement.

Del. Dave Nutter, R-Christiansburg, said he's been told the truck parking spaces available at roadside businesses and truck stops are inadequate to make up for the spaces that would be lost if rest stops close, he added.

How many commercial truck parking spaces are there? Many, a VDOT study found.

Businesses within one mile of an I-81 interchange between Dublin and Botetourt County in Southwest Virginia offer 413 truck parking spaces, compared with 58 at the four rest stops that are pegged for closing, agency spokeswoman Heidi Coy said.

But truckers parked at the Ironto rest stop Sunday afternoon said businesses' parking spaces fill up quickly, and federal regulations require that they take breaks.

"Parking is limited come 7 o'clock at night," said Tim Sigsbee, a driver for USA Truck, based in Arkansas. "You take away these [rest stops], you're kind of putting us in a bind."

Another truck driver, Joseph Homes, said that if VDOT wants to ensure safety, they should reconsider closing rest stops.

"[Rest stops are] a necessity for a highway," he said. "People get tired."

Homes said he uses rest stops a couple of times a day when he's on the road.

Like those of other states, Virginia's government is reeling from the effects of the downward economy, which include less revenue from the taxation of gasoline and vehicle sales.

Last month, VDOT released what it called a "comprehensive plan to address long-term funding reductions."

Officials said they'll get $2.6 billion less for transport than expected during the next six years. They say they expect no meaningful improvement in funding until 2014.

In response, the Commonwealth Transportation Board delayed or eliminated 808 construction projects in February. The agency plans layoffs of about 1,500 workers, or about 16 percent of the work force, by July 1, 2010.

Some of the effects in Southwest Virginia are known, some not.

VDOT operates in Southwest Virginia organizationally through its 12-county Salem District covering the Roanoke and New River valleys and nearby communities. The district employs about 1,030 workers -- 940 classified employees and 90 hourly employees. It's unclear how many will be laid off.

One proposal would eliminate nine of the Salem District's 13 equipment maintenance and repair shops -- those in Floyd, Hillsville, Pearisburg, Christiansburg, Henry County, Rocky Mount, Troutville, New Castle and Hanging Rock. Four are expected to stay open: Bedford, Dublin, Martinsville and Salem.

Also two of six Salem District VDOT offices, called residencies, could be closed -- in Hillsville and Rocky Mount.

The district will keep its district office, traffic operations center and all 28 maintenance hubs, called area headquarters, according to the proposal up for discussion Tuesday.

Staff writer Amanda Codispoti contributed to this report.