Greenlanterncorps
Banned
In the US, private rest stops on interstate highways are illegal, leading to restaurants, truck stops, gas stations, and such being built in small towns near interstate highways instead of in state-owned plots directly on the highway. So. How could this not be so? And what would the effects of having privatized rest stops nation-wide (rather than on old routes or in Florida) have on the US?
It's a little more complicated than that.
Interstate highways (which, while mostly financed by the US government are owned and maintained by the All 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Alaska and PR both have unsigned interstates that are financed as part of the system but not built to interstate standards or signed as part of the system) can be divided (for rest area purposes) into two categories:
Toll interstates, which are largely built and funded by state turnpike authorities. Most, but not all toll roads were built before the system was created and were incorporated into it.
Most toll interstates have relatively few Exits and no Rest Areas. Instead they have service plazas maintained by the turnpike authority. The service plaza will have a gas station and one or more restaurants run by a contractor. They may also have tourist information for travelers. They do not usually have any hotels. For a hotel you will need to exit the tool road.
Free interstates, which are built largely with federal funds, were built specific to the system or added to it later.
Free interstates have many more Exits and a number of Rest Areas.
The Rest Areas are non-commercial areas where travelers can pull off the highway to rest or stretch their legs. A Rest Area will usually have restrooms, picnic tables, a place to walk pets, they may also have tourist information (particularly at a "Welcome Center" located just past a state line), a play ground, vending machines, etc.
The exits off the interstate will vary, but will often have gas stations, often right by the exit and entrance ramps, hotels, restaurants (both fast food places and those with table service), etc located within a mile of the interstate. In a suburban or urban area you will often see shopping malls, office parks, warehousing and industry near the exits to take advantage of the highway access.
Information on Interstate Rest Areas:
http://www.thistlekeep.com/tk/trek/tt/030page.htm
This site has multiple aerial photos of Exit 5 on I-75 in Georgia (the interchange with Georgia State Highway 376) The last photo shows the business on one side of the highway: 2 Gas stations, 5 restaurants, and 4 hotels:
http://www.landhappy.com/75.html
This site has a information on Service Plazas on the Ohio Turnpike:
http://www.ohioturnpike.org/travelers/service_plaza/