A historic Tacoma icon, the Murray Morgan Bridge, marked its 100th anniversary Feb. 15 – the date it opened in 1913.
City officials declared Feb. 11-15 as Murray Morgan Bridge Week and held a rededication ceremony for the span, which reopened Feb. 1 to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. It had been closed since November 2007, when state Department of Transportation inspectors decided it was structurally deficient. In January 2011, the city started a restoration project.
The bridge, named for a legendary author and historian who once worked on it as a bridge tender, is considered by officials to be a vital link for economic reasons between downtown Tacoma and Port of Tacoma areas and for fire and police emergency services.
Speakers and dignitaries at the rededication ceremony included Governor Jay Inslee and Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland.