Hartford – Plans to close Connecticut's seven non-commercial highway rest areas have been scrapped and all of the sites, including the North Stonington rest area and visitors' center along I-95, will stay open.

A co-chairman of the legislature's Transportation Committee announced the change of plans Wednesday afternoon. State Rep. Tony Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, said in a statement that he worked with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's office to keep the stops open.

Guerrera noted that long-haul truckers have mandated rest periods, and that regular motorists need places to stop.

"We preach safety on the roads – we say, 'If you're tired, pull over, rest, take a break.' Closing the rest areas send the opposite message," Guerrera said.

The plan had called for shuttering the two Willington rest areas along I-84 on July 1 and closing the other five stops across the state in 2012. The closures were to save $1.3 million annually, in addition to $14 million in one-time savings by canceling capital improvement projects.

The North Stonington rest area along southbound I-95 is considered a gateway into Connecticut from Rhode Island and Massachusetts. It is the least-frequented of the seven stops, with 2,800 maximum daily visitors, according to the state Department of Transportation. The busiest rest area, the Middletown stop along I-91, gets a maximum 9,360 visitors.