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Yep the Chesapeake House and the Maryland House service plazas on I-95 north of Baltimore are in the center median. There's also one on I-95 in Delaware. I think most of the ones on the Garden State Parkway are in the median, though I can think of exceptions. You could also say the Vince Lombardi service area on the NJ Turnpike qualifies. It's right at the point where the Eastern Spur and Western Spur of the Turnpike come together.
Maryland House is one of my favorite rest stops. Here's a tip if you happen to go there--there's a little museum/public info area upstairs that is interesting to browse through. It's also where you'll find nice rest rooms. Nobody seems to guess there are also rest rooms upstairs!
Not sure if it's still there, but there was one on the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn, NY. I remember stopping there once as a kid heading up to the grandparents house. I think it was a Mobil gas station.
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Originally Posted by Stripes17
Not sure if it's still there, but there was one on the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn, NY. I remember stopping there once as a kid heading up to the grandparents house. I think it was a Mobil gas station.
Yes it's still there but of course now it's Exxon/Mobil. There are several still though going north in New York state on various expwys, etc.
Greatest abundance I've ever seen was NJ Turnpike, Garden State already mentioned and in Delaware and a couple in Maryland on 95. Of course they don't need too many rest exits they are such small states to get thru, but I think it's great they do it that way to some extent. But to get to the relieving areas it's too long a trip, so it's very commercial rather than a pit stop.
They kinda missed the point of the stop, we're usually wanting to get to our destination rather than idle away time in a rest stop. But Chesapeake House is real nice but they make it a side attraction. On the way to Atlantic City or in NJ they are designed to get you into the needed parts faster than those in MD.
I've seen several that are left exits and it makes me crazy. When people leave the rest area, they are forced to initially merge into the left lane, where cars are going the fastest. It is way too dangerous IMO. Definitely it makes more sense to position the rest area to the left so only one area is necessary, but overpasses should be built so entering and exiting the rest area is safe.
Not necessarily actually. Building a rest stop in the middle of the highway saves TONS of money....you don't have to pave two separate car lots, two separate stations, two separate plumbing systems....economically, a left exit rest stop makes more sense than the conventional one.
LOL, I understand the concern about merging into the fast lane, but this isn't a problem with the rest stops on I-95. There is ample warning that the rest stops are coming up. Then the initial turn INTO the stop catches your attention. The rest stop itself is very large and definitely gets your attention. Once you pass the rest stop, drivers in the left lane see the cars that are returning to the road for a long time, because they drive down a fairly long feeder road to the spot where they merge. As a result, the left lane slows down a little until everyone is past the rest stop.
For me, I have seen only one, and that rest stop would be on I-44 in Missouri near Stanton...roughly about 50-60 miles southwest of St. Louis. All the other ones I've seen are to the right of the highway. If you ask me, the ones on the medians of the highway make more sense to build because you can make one big structure instead of two.
I remember that one!! I really thought it was unique! That place is actually very clean and you do not have to touch anything. The water turns on by itself. It sprays your hands with soap, and dries your hands in the same places!!
The left exit is on the Turner Turnpike between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The Kansas Turnpike has all its servcie areas in the median, using left lane exits. Most of the other turnpike Service areas also are in median and use left exits, for the more recently-built turnpikes, those that use the barrier system to collect tolls. The only remaining Service area on Will Rogers Turnpike is the pavement -spanning "World's Largest McDonald's" near Vinita, OK. The other service areas on Turner Turnpike, other than one in the center, are on the right and in staggered positions on each side. The Wellston Interchange westbound has a ramp that passes through a service area. This interchange was added later and has only an unmanned tollbooth. There is no refund of partial toll when exiting westbound, as it is west of the central single tollbooth set on the turnpike. Traffic exiting before the central tollbooth pay at interchanges. Traffic entering westbound get a ticket via an unmanned machine. Aftger paying toll at the central tollbooth, those exiting before end of turnpike or before Wellston, if they present receipt, receive a refund of a portion of unused toll, The trunpike was former ly aclosed system with receipt of tickets when entering and payment when exiting at each end and thethen-six interchanges.
The Chicago Skyway has its servcie area in the median. The only service area on Kentucky Parkways (formerly tolled) is a left-ramp median unit.
Another unique rest area is at Funks Grove, IL on I-55, with only one triangular building on the west side. The southbound ramps are typical, but the northbound ramps are a trumpet intgerchange style and pass under the highway, sharing bridge with a county road which has no access to I-55, and having a separate parking area near the building. It is not possible to turn around eitgher direction. The building has dispalys of Old 66, including artifacts from a drive in movie theatre, and of Funks Grove nearby, famous for its maple sirup [sic]
There are definitely one or two on I-95 on the way from Baltimore to Wilmington and Philly.
Actually there are 3 (one in DE and 2 in MD) between Philly and Baltimore
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. There are several still though going north in New York state on various expwys, etc. 
