Here’s what $4.2 million gets you in the outhouse industry

The bill of $4.2 million went towards design, right of way acquisition and construction, according to the Tacoma News Tribune.

When an outhouse was built in remote Mount Rainier, you wouldn’t expect the price tag to be in the millions; but it is, and Dori Monson says that everyone got rich off the project, except for the taxpayers.

The bill of $4.2 million went towards design, right-of-way acquisition and construction, according to the Tacoma News Tribune. There has been some dispute over the final price tag, but a listener sent us the tally sheet with the total ringing in at $4.2 million.

When it comes to a price tag in the millions, what would you expect to get? A home theater? An in-ground swimming pool? Lake front property?

The new rest stop is in small town Elbe, which was apparently “welcome relief” to tourists headed in the direction of Mount Rainier National Park. Small businesses complained that their bathrooms were used by travelers, not customers, and were sometimes vandalized.

So the Washington Department of Transportation took on the project of adding a rest stop to SR 7. In an existing building a small lobby, privies for men and women, and a unisex bathroom for families were constructed. There are two waterless urinals and five outhouse-like, no flush toilets.

Dori says he could have done this project with a bunch of his buddies and it would have only cost the state $300,000. Of course, they would be pocketing about $270,000.

Was your money well spent? Well, at the very least they better be doling out the 2-ply and the smell-pretty hand sanitizer.

By Alyssa Kleven, MyNorthwest.com Editor