Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Built on the site of the former Horn school, the Highway 195 rest stop south of Rosalia is undergoing a rehabilitation after 44 years of service.
Built in 1967, the rest stop near Rosalia is the oldest continuously operating one in the state of Washington.
The remodeling project will include new tile, partitions and countertops, electrical, plumbing, furnace and heating.
“It’s just old and worn out,” said Dan Haupt, north maintenance supervisor for the Washington State Department of Transportation. The project is funded by an allotment of $70,000 from facilities operations of the WSDOT.
The money came through in September, so Haupt and crew decided to go ahead quickly.
“There’s never a good time to close a rest area,” said Haupt.
WSDOT is the general contractor on the project, which began last week and is expected to be complete sometime next week. Subcontractors have been hired for different aspects of the work.
In the meantime, the area remains open to travelers, with portable toilets on site.
Last year, the site had 282,072 visitors. The figure is derived from the water meter readings using a formula of three gallons for one flush of a toilet plus the .89 gallons used to wash hands, Haupt explained.
The Horn School rest stop was originally built for $84,000.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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