After undergoing a $57 million renovation, the Murray Morgan
Bridge, which connects the Port of Tacoma with the city’s downtown, has fully
reopened, just in time for its 100th anniversary.
The drawbridge, which originally opened in February 1913,
was reopened to vehicular traffic at noon on Feb. 1. It had closed in October
2007 after state inspectors found rusted steel and failing machinery they
deemed unsafe and declared it too dangerous for traffic.
Since then, a $57 million restoration was paid for by a
combination of state and federal funds. Among the improvements is the addition
of new motors, cables and controls to the apparatus that raises the center
section to allow tall boats into and out of the Thea Foss Waterway.
Additionally, the bridge itself has been narrowed from four
lanes to two and two of the former lanes have been converted to bicycle and
pedestrian paths. An under-construction elevator is expected to provide access
from Dock Street below to the bridge.
Environmental improvements include a new drainage system
that routes runoff from the bridge to a rain garden on the Tideflat side of the
structure.
A formal dedication ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 15; work
on the bridge is expected to continue through February.
