The world's largest truck stop is remodeling and expanding. The Iowa 80 Truckstop, at Walcott along I-80 in eastern Iowa, has started a 10 million dollar project to expand the food court and add more retail space.
Marketing manager Heather DeBaillie says the main building now covers 100,000 square feet, and will grow 23,000 more when the project is done.
She says the truck stop industry is very competitive.
"We need to offer something that's going to attract people, that's going to be bigger and better and more beautiful than our competition at the corner."
She says Iowa 80 also has to respond to changes in the rules for truck drivers - soon they'll be limited to just 30-minute breaks during their 11 hour days.
"Also when drivers are on their breaks, they're not going to have a long time to sit and rest and have a big sit down meal in the middle of the day. They need to be able to grab something quick, they want something healthy."
So as part of the project, the kitchen for the convenience store will also be remodeled and expanded.
The Iowa 80 Truckstop, along the interstate just west of Davenport, first opened in 1964, and DeBaillie estimates it's been expanded and remodeled more than 35 times since then. Currently 500 people work there in three shifts.
