Brick & Stone Episode 1 | The Murray Morgan Bridge
Brick and Stone: Celebrating Tacoma's Architectural Legacy
Episode 1: The Murray Morgan Bridge
Tacoma is known for many great, and sometimes odd, hallmarks, like our city’s famous “aroma”.
The City of Destiny is also home to some astounding architecture! Some of it well-recognized, while others we may pass by. Or perhaps they are simply such an ingrained part of everyday Tacoma life and scenery, that we no longer recognize their unique and even historical presence.
Welcome to Brick & Stone! A video series where we will explore and highlight a handful of the buildings and structures, along with the history behind them, that are a part of what makes our city so rich!
In the first episode of this series we take a deeper look at downtown’s iconic steel bridge. Before even saying its name, you are probably already picturing its distinguishable silhouette. The 11th Street Bridge (as it was originally named) became a Tacoma necessity in 1889 when the St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company built its first mill on the abundantly available, but until then undesirable, bogland across the waterway from the city.
It was renamed on May 21, 1997, to honor Tacoma-born historian and author, Murray Morgan. Morgan was a bridge tender on the bridge during the 1950s and wrote most of his famed book, "Skid Road: An Informal Portrait of Seattle" during quiet periods on the job. Designed by renowned bridge engineers Waddell and Harrington, the iconic lift bridge was opened in 1913, linking downtown to the waterfront and the industrial tide flats. It plays a prominent role in Tacoma’s social history, initially serving as the setting for gatherings and labor disputes, including a violent strike in 1916.
The bridge carries some unusual structural features as it sits higher above the water than most lift bridges, construction on a variable grade and an overhead span designed to carry a water pipe. The bridge structure also contained a series of switchback ramps that connected what is now Cliff Street with Dock Street. According to the Department of Transportation, the towers are 207 feet 1.75 inches above the water, with the road deck 60 feet above the water level at zero tide.
Modified and updated in 1957, it was used to route State Route 509 through the tidal flats. The bridge was bypassed in the late 1990s when State Route 509 was routed around the edge of the tidal flats. While WSDOT wanted to tear down the bridge, the City of Tacoma convinced the state to transfer ownership to the City’s hands.
After nearly 100 years, a closer was called in 2007 due to safety concerns and general wear and tear from its long lifespan. This ensued the beginning of the city’s large rehabilitation project to completely overhaul all aspects of the bridge. Three years later the bridge would periodically open to pedestrians and bikes. However, it wasn’t until 2013 that it would re-open entirely to all traffic.
Whether you’re looking at the bridge from below, down the hill from the top of 11th, or across the water, the Murray Morgan Bridge is a truly impressive Tacoma icon.
