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City explores options for Murray Morgan rehab

By Meghan Erkkinen

Tacoma Weekly
merkkinen@tacomaweekly.com
Published on: August 28, 2008

Ever since the 95-year-old Murray Morgan Bridge was closed last October due to safety concerns, city and state officials have struggled with what to do next.

On the one hand, the bridge is an historic icon and a popular pedestrian and bicycling route. On the other, repairs would be costly – $80 million to rehabilitate it and $160 million to replace it – for a bridge that is used by only a few thousand drivers every day.

More and more, though, public officials are convinced that restoring the crossing would have significant and positive impact on the economy and community as development occurs along the waterfront

“It isn’t about the bridge,” said state Rep. Dennis Flannigan, who spoke at a recent Tacoma City Council study session about the subject. “It’s about the access to the future on the other side that the bridge provides… This bridge is of value to both the port and to the city and to the future.”

The discussion at a recent Tacoma City Council study session leaned more toward how – and not whether – to repair the ailing structure.

City staff and representatives of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) presented to the council what it would take to repair the bridge. The Murray Morgan currently has a federal sufficiency rating of only two on a scale of zero to 100. A possible rehabilitation proposal that was put before the council would bring the bridge up to an estimated 71 on the scale.

The proposal included removing cantilever sidewalks along the side of the bridge; replacing the four-lane roadway with one that would accommodate two vehicle lanes, and room for bikes and pedestrians; replacing the cables on the bridge; and rehabilitating the approach sections from the east and west that lead to the center truss span. With proper operation and maintenance, these improvements would give the bridge an estimated 75 years of additional use.

The major issue now standing in the way of rehabilitation is money. A tangible plan goes a long way toward convincing those at the state and federal levels to fork over cash, but city officials also recognize that it isn’t realistic to expect $80 million all at once.

The state has directed $40 million in federal funds toward the project, but only after Tacoma takes ownership of the bridge – something several council members shied away from – or in the case of an emergency situation.

So, the city council discussed a phased approach to the rehabilitation.

“Once the process begins, the viability of this project increases,” said Mayor Bill Baarsma. “It’s in a sense a leap of faith.”

If the project were to be divided into phases, the first objective would be to replace the bridge’s 64 cables and repair the pedestrian stairs. A decision on whether to move forward with replacing the cables would need to be made by early 2009.

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