ALDOT renovating the I-20 welcome center in Cleburne County

CLEBURNE COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) is working on a major renovation at the Interstate 20 westbound welcome center in Cleburne County.

That’s the welcome center on I-20 just as you cross over into Alabama from Georgia.

ALDOT said the goal was to make the rest area more inviting and comfortable for families. The facility originally opened in 1985, and ALDOT said it was time for an upgrade.

“We decided instead of tearing it down and replacing it with a new welcome center, it’s such a popular welcome center. We decided to keep it intact and just renovate it,” said Jon Paepcke with ALDOT.

The $12 million project started in May 2025. ALDOT officials said they wanted to protect the character of the facility because of its popularity, but it’s also the the gateway from Georgia to Alabama, and the first place you visit.

“A lot of people stop by there on the way back from visits to Braves games or other exciting activities in Georgia when they’re coming back to their home state of Alabama so, we decided to just give it a refresh and that’s what’s been going on for the last twelve months,” said Paepcke.

Some of the improvements will include new bathrooms, outdoor lighting, large vending spaces and pavement resurfacing, all while bringing the building up to code.

“There were some code upgrades that needed to be made. The sidewalks outside, there are a few spots that needed to be ADA compliant. That’s being done along with just a number of other improvements.”

Paepcke said 40,000 people visited the welcome center daily before it closed.

The project remains on schedule and the renovated welcome center should reopen in February 2027.

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