A bridge too far?
February 28th, 2008 by Republican By DefaultNews out today that the Murray Morgan Bridge in Tacoma can be rehabilitated for just $80 million dollars. The city will likely have to come up with at least half of that amount. And that’s assuming that the state extends funding from $26.5 million to $40 million. It also assumes that the cost of materials won’t go up too much and that the $80 million price tag is complete and accurate. Those are big questions in my book, but those aren’t the only questions that I have.
We’ve been without that bridge for a short time. We have that cool new bridge on the new SR 509 just a mile or so away (Murray Morgan was SR 509 until 1997). There’s the on-ramp to I-705 just two blocks from the old bridge and the next exit is the new bridge that leads to the Port. The first exit after crossing the bridge is Portland Ave. which leads right to 11th on the other side of the Thea Foss waterway. This route really only adds a few minutes to a commute for people who live on the North End (or the North part of downtown). Most anyone else (which is the majority of people) probably wouldn’t use the 11th St. bridge anyway since they can go at highway speeds on I-705 and SR-509.
So what’s the point of having a bridge there? Is it worth $80 to $135 million to have a way for a few people to save a few minutes on their commute?
The state had already determined that it should be torn down. They allocated the $26.5 million for demolition, which might be enough to cover the cost (I don’t know the details on that). Throw in the salvage value of the steel and the city could get rid of an eyesore which will likely become a danger as time goes on.
Then there’s the value of the real estate that the bridge seems to mess up. It seems like it’s in the way of some potentially better development plans, but that’s just my guess.
I know that people are saying that it’s should be considered a historic landmark. But I just don’t see it. Tacoma has spent a lot of money (millions) preserving its history with museums, buildings, monuments and celebrations. Do we really need another outdoor museum?
Wouldn’t we be better off without an 11th Street bridge so we can keep the millions or use them for something more important?
Update: For some reason I forgot to mention that not only can you jump on the highway at S. 13th in downtown Tacoma to get to the other side of the Thea Foss waterway, you can also a few blocks North of 11th Street on Pacific Ave. and turn right on Dock Street. That takes you down to East ‘D’ Street near Puyallup Ave. where you can turn left and get back to 11th Street.
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Click on ‘View Larger Map’ to see the routes described here.
