Murray Morgan Bridge...

I started my day going to the Maritime Festival in Tacoma to take pictures....It was a nice day and I thought it might be fun...I couldn't find anywhere to park so I drove around the waterway to the other side to the left in the photo, parked under the bridge and thought I would walk across the closed Murray Morgan Bridge...I have never walked across the bridge before but knew there were stairs up to it on both ends...I soon became enamoured with the old steel bridge, that I had driven over many, many times without giving it a thought....

there were hundreds of people on the city side of the bridge......

in both directions, people everywhere, you could hear music playing and people hollering, you could smell the sea water

not a soul on the bridge, or ....

 under the bridge....

it was beautiful and peaceful.....

here is a set of the many stairs to climb up to the bridge.....

and there are places to pause and pretend you are standing there just to take pictures....

more stairs...whew!

interesting walkways under the bridge.....isn't it cool?

and more stairs.....

but no one on the bridge....so odd...but I loved being there...

I will pause for a little history, this is a picture of the bridge lifted up to let a ship pass...it is an old post card...the Bridge was built in 1911 and was vital to the development of the 'manufacturing district' as the tide flats were called back then...the bridge was originally called the 11th street bridge and renamed the Murray Morgan.....

here is an early shot of the city, the bridge and the tide flats....the bridge has been closed for several years now, deemed unsafe..the WSDOT wanted to tear it down but the people of the city, voted to save the bridge...the State sold the bridge to the city and now the city is going to refurbish the bridge to a usable state, it is planning to reopen in the next few years.....the work will begin this fall....

ok, back to the bridge...this was the gate keepers shed, way up at the top of the structure...oh how I wanted to go up there....

and here is another controllers shed....

it is like a giant erectors set my brothers used to have.....and no I didn't fall over backwards...(just stumbled a little)

the views from the bridge are the best of the city.....

this is an old building right below the bridge on the tide flats side...naw, I didn't want to walk on that dock...

it is the humongous long building!

I have no idea what this building was used for...it is in pretty good shape...would make a great hotel or brewery....

but no sign of life on the street.....

I love that old bridge...I encourage everyone to grab your camera and go out walking and explore, see if you can find a new love... oh the Maritime festival? I did make it there and it was just fine, but I will remember the day, of finding the bridge, that was always right there....

Cheers to Happy  !!