Traversing 88 miles of stunning mountain terrain, the West Virginia Turnpike offers travelers a safe and efficient route from central to southern West Virginia. Commercial trucks and out-of-state motorists, many of whom visit the state to soak up its natural beauty, comprise about 75% of the traffic on the heavily traveled highway.

The three travel plazas along the corridor, operated by the West Virginia Parkways Authority (WVPA), had outlived their service lives. As the existing concessionaire agreement neared expiration, WVPA began reimagining the facilities as spaces that would inspire and rejuvenate drivers, transforming their routine rest stops into elevated experiences. WVPA engaged HNTB to lead the design for the world-class facilities, manage construction and contract administration and help advertise and select the new concessionaire.

“A core goal for WVPA was to make these travel plazas a destination,” said Taylore Keller, HNTB design principal. “They wanted the facilities to be a representation of the state’s hospitality-driven personality.”

The project was completed in two phases. Phase 1 included reconstructing the Beckley Travel Plaza, the turnpike’s largest and signature destination, and the Bluestone Travel Plaza, a rest spot at the turnpike’s southern edge for motorists and commercial tourist buses continuing to area ski resorts or the New River Gorge National Park. Beckley opened in December 2024, followed by Bluestone in January 2025. 

Phase 2 will rebuild the Morton Travel Plaza, nestled at the base of a mountain along the northern part of the tollway, establishing the final fueling and convenience travel stop, expected to be completed in 2027.

“Our new travel plazas represent more than just a place to refuel — they’re a reflection of West Virginia’s spirit of hospitality, innovation and pride in our natural beauty,” said Andy Hambrick, WVPA highway production manager. “By investing in meaningful design and modern amenities, we’re not only enhancing the travel experience but also supporting local communities and showcasing what makes our state truly special. We’re already seeing the impact with more visitors, more local engagement and a stronger sense of place for everyone who passes through.”

Interpreting a bygone travel era

Early in WVPA’s visioning meetings with HNTB, the idea of designing new facilities with a nostalgic look and feel reminiscent of a bygone travel era became a focal point. 

“After listening to the client’s vision, our design team was inspired to evoke the early days of American travel and the iconic roadside architecture of that era,” said Matthew Hallett, HNTB design director. “There was this idea of creating a beacon — something visually striking that would catch the traveler’s eye and draw them in. That was the spark. We set out to reimagine that nostalgic spirit in a modern, relevant way that reflects how people experience travel today.”

The design of the travel plazas incorporates bold, sweeping canopies with dramatic overhangs some 30 feet above the fueling stations, a clear nod to the midcentury era of American road travel. As an extension of the travel plaza buildings, the canopies create an organizational approach, providing a wayfinding opportunity that helps customers understand how to navigate from the fuel islands into the building.

“Tethering fueling directly to the building, rather than locating it as a remote, satellite element off to the side, allowed us to create that comfortable, approachable interplay between the fueling area and the core functions of the buildings themselves,” Keller said.

The travel plazas’ exposed angular structures, which emulate the state’s many bridges, are illuminated with vibrant colored lighting and juxtapose the floor-to-ceiling windows at the dining and retail areas. This contrast allows each site to feel rooted in its surroundings and integrated within the fabric of the region while standing apart as a landmark destination.

Rooted in Place: A material palette inspired by West Virginia’s landscape and legacy

Materials used in the travel plazas were selected to reflect West Virginia’s unique landscape and legacy — blending cultural symbolism with architectural expression.

Elevating convenience

Informed by extensive research and benchmarking, the team drew inspiration from European travel plazas to create a convenience-driven space that also delivers a memorable architectural experience.

At Beckley, that vision comes to life through a grab-and-go food and beverage area designed not just for speed, but for immersion. Visitors can circulate freely around and through the retail zone, which is fully integrated into the building’s architecture. This open layout is supported by robust back-of-house infrastructure, including expansive walk-in coolers that ensure operational efficiency without compromising design.

“The concessionaire worked as our counterpart from the early design stage,” Keller said. “They embraced the design vision, which differed from their traditional outfit of travel plazas and helped us create an elevated grab-and-go retail experience within the building. That collaboration produced a seamless, cohesive model that perfectly integrated with the rest of the building design.”

The architecture emphasizes openness — of circulation, choice and experience. The plazas offer acoustically comfortable dining areas, opportunities to engage with local vendors and artists, and a layout that encourages discovery rather than detour. 

The restrooms continue to reflect that elevated approach. Designed for comfort and cleanliness, they feature soft, ambient lighting, integrated wash bars at every sink, solid-surface counters that minimize mess and thoughtful amenities like bag shelves, hooks and child safety seats in select stalls.

Outside the plazas, the design team prioritized ease of access and circulation for all vehicle types — cars, RVs, buses and trucks — while expanding parking capacity.

“We reimagined the entire site layout to accommodate more truck and passenger parking, all while maintaining traffic flow and safety,” said John Swisher, HNTB project manager. “That meant going through several iterations of the design to ensure every vehicle could move through the site efficiently.”

To support this, the team employed auto turn analysis, a simulation tool used to model vehicle movements and optimize circulation patterns. 

“We made sure that trucks could properly navigate, that they had enough room to park and that there were no conflicting movements,” Swisher said. “It was all about creating a seamless, safe experience for every traveler.”