MEIGS COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) -- A small rest area in Meigs County, Ohio will soon be torn down to make room for a new one.

Ground was broken Tuesday along U.S. 33 for the new, modernized rest area.

Both the eastbound and westbound facilities will get upgrades.

The rest areas on both sides of U.S. 33 were built in the 1960s and have not been upgraded since 1987. Ohio Department of Transportation District 10 Deputy Director T. Steve Williams says the project's goal is to modernize these outdated facilities.

"The main purpose of this project is to provide flush toilets and running water to these facilities," says Williams.

The project will cost an estimated $440,000 and will be completed before Thanksgiving.

"It's about time that we stop worrying about how fast the roads are and start thinking about how clean our rest stops are," says Meigs County Commissioner Tom Anderson

Construction at the site off U.S. 33 is scheduled to begin this week. No facility closures are expected until after Labor Day.

A total of 44 rest areas in the state were scheduled for upgrades beginning in November 2010, including one along U.S. 50 in Athens County, and one along Ohio 7 in Gallia County.