Murray Morgan Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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City Waterway Bridge
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Murray Morgan Bridge from the Thea Foss Waterway
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 Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | Tacoma, Washington |
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| Built | 1911 |
| Architect | Waddell & Harrington; International Contract Co. |
| MPS | Historic Bridges/Tunnels in Washington State TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004278 |
| Added to NRHP | July 16, 1982 |
The Murray Morgan Bridge is a special kind of bridge in Tacoma, Washington. It's also known as the 11th Street Bridge or City Waterway Bridge. This bridge can lift its middle section straight up! It connects downtown Tacoma with the tideflats, crossing over the Thea Foss Waterway.
The bridge first opened on February 15, 1913. It replaced an older bridge that swung open to let boats pass. The Murray Morgan Bridge was designed by a famous company called Waddell & Harrington. It has some cool features. For example, it's higher above the water than most lift bridges. It also has a special part that used to carry a water pipe. The bridge even had ramps that connected different streets.
The towers of the bridge stand very tall, about 207 feet (63 meters) above the water. The road deck is 60 feet (18 meters) above the water when the tide is low. In 1957, the bridge was updated. It was used for State Route 509 for many years. Later, in the late 1990s, the highway was moved to a different path. The state wanted to take the bridge down. But the City of Tacoma asked to take over the bridge instead. This bridge has been very important for people traveling between the Port of Tacoma and downtown.
In 2007, the bridge had to close because it was old and worn out. It had been used for almost 100 years! The city started a big project to fix it up completely. In 2010, the bridge began opening sometimes for bikes and people walking. Finally, in February 2013, the bridge fully reopened for all traffic.
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Why the Bridge is Called Murray Morgan
The bridge was first called the 11th Street Bridge. But on May 21, 1997, its name was changed. It was renamed to honor Murray Morgan (1916–2000). He was a famous historian from Tacoma. He wrote many books about the Pacific Northwest. His most famous book was "Skid Road," about the history of Seattle.
Guess what? Murray Morgan used to work on this very bridge! He was a bridge tender in the 1950s. A bridge tender is someone who operates the bridge. He even wrote most of his book "Skid Road" during the quiet times at his job on the bridge.
When the Bridge Was Closed and Reopened
The Murray Morgan Bridge was closed to cars on October 23, 2007. This was because of safety worries. The bridge was very old and needed a lot of work.
After a big project to fix it up, the bridge reopened in February 2013. It was a huge celebration for the city!
How the Bridge Was Improved
On February 1, 2013, the bridge officially reopened after all the repairs were done. It used to have four lanes for cars. Now it has two lanes for cars. The other two lanes were made into wider paths for people walking and riding bikes.
The bridge is now painted solid black, which was its original color. It also has new lights that look old-fashioned but use modern LED bulbs. This was to celebrate the bridge's 100th birthday! There's even an elevator that connects people on the bridge to Dock Street below.
The bridge is also more friendly to the environment now. A new system collects rainwater. This water goes into tanks that help a special garden on the east side of the bridge. The computers, wires, and motors that make the bridge lift up were also updated.
What Happened to the Bridge's Controls
On December 15, 2010, something happened to the bridge's mechanical room. Some parts were taken from the control panel. This panel is used to raise the bridge for boats on the Foss Waterway. Luckily, as part of the big repair project, all the computers and electrical parts in the bridge were replaced with new ones.
Map Coordinates: 47°15′14″N 122°26′00″W / 47.253995°N 122.43327°W
