SPRINGFIELD - State transportation officials have pulled the plug on a plan to offer free Internet service at interstate rest areas.

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, only one company submitted a proposal to offer wireless access at the rest areas, triggering officials to put the idea on hold.

"That essentially puts us back to square one," said IDOT spokesman Matt Vanover.

Earlier this year, transportation officials had sought to add Illinois to the growing list of states that are transforming rest areas into hot spots for web browsing.

Vanover said officials envision motorists stopping to check out weather and road conditions. They also saw it as a way to help drivers find hotels and restaurants near their destinations.

Iowa, Texas and Washington are among other states that have recently installed wireless Internet capability at rest areas. Some states charge for access, but Illinois had wanted to offer the service for free.

That, said Vanover, may have been why the proposal only drew one vendor.

After the holiday break, Vanover said IDOT staff will reassess whether to tweak the state's proposal. They could scale it back and, for example, only offer Internet access at a few rest areas. Or, the plan could call for the state to boost its financial interest in the idea.

In Iowa, officials say most people use the service to check their email accounts. Truckers often use the service to contact freight shipping companies for route changes or other updates.

The service has been so popular that Iowa is now installing computer kiosks at its rest areas to allow people without laptop computers to surf the Internet.

The cost to Iowa has been limited to paying for equipment. The actual service is provided free through a vendor, who supports it's investment through Internet advertisements.