BECKLEY, W.Va. — The group that generates 50 percent of the revenue on the West Virginia Turnpike and 23 percent of the traffic now has a new option at the busy Beckley Travel Plaza.
A new, state-of-the-art, shower facility opened recently.
“The board said, ‘We feel we owe it to the truckers,'” Turnpike General Manager Greg Barr said. “The parking lot (150 spaces) are full every night with truckers.”
The shower facilities were first offered at the Beckley stop in the early 1990s but were never really updated and the contractor in charge of the restaurant facilities at the truck stop didn’t specialize in the service.
“We had the restaurant operation running the showers for us and over time they kind of lost focus on it, it wasn’t something they wanted to do and they were only doing it because they had to,” Barr said.
In recent months, the Turnpike went on the road and studied other shower facilities for truckers. A team visited Pilot and Love’s in order to follow best practices.
“They came up with this wholly contained room that has the sink, the shower, the toilet, the mirrors. You can go in there and get totally showered up privately. And you clean it after every shower,” Barr said. “It’s high-quality and cleanliness is second to none.”
Prices are at $7. 50 with your own towel and soap or $10.00 if you do not have your own.
“We think it’s going to do well and we’re going to make sure it’s always clean and high quality.”
Barr said there’s a possibility that in the future the truckers who purchase more fuel will get a cost break on a shower.