Maryland House to Reopen in Early 2014

Thanksgiving travelers who needed a rest stop around Aberdeen found themselves out of luck, as Maryland House was closed for the second holiday season in a row.

The travel center has been undergoing renovations since September 2012, and the Maryland Transportation Authority recently announced the plaza—one of the busiest in the United States—will reopen in early 2014.

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Officials originally planned for the facility to reopen in December 2013.

However, there was significant work to be done at the 50-year-old Maryland House, where remediation of fuel-contaminated soil cost $2.6 million, according to The Baltimore Sun.

The building itself is also being redone. Plans call for contemporary design, additional bus parking, free wireless internet and a staffed welcome center, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority. Environmentally friendly features like rain gardens, solar panels and high-efficiency lighting are also being incorporated.

Vendors at Maryland House will include Phillips Seafood, Wendy's, Cosi, Dunkin' Donuts, Nathan's, Jamba Juice, Jerry's Subs & Pizza, Currito, Pizza Hut, Auntie Anne's and Baskin Robbins, according to the transportation authority.

The renovation of Maryland House—and, when the Aberdeen facility reopens, of Chesapeake House—comes through a public-private partnership with Areas USA, a company that is footing the bill for much of the work in exchange for rights to operate the travel plazas for several decades.

The renovation was billed as "bringing 21st-century customer service facilities to Maryland's citizens and visitors at no cost to the state" by Maryland Transportation Authority Executive Secretary Harold M. Bartlett.