Bridges

Staff Contacts

Bridge Inspection Team Leads

Steve Carstens, Principal Engineer
scarstens@tacoma.gov
(253) 573-2484

Chris Storey, Principal Engineer
cstorey@tacoma.gov
(253) 573-2484

Chad Norman
cnorman@tacoma.gov
(253) 606-5470

Clara Dubow
cdubow@tacoma.gov
(253) 208-4161

Jeremiah Kotulan
JKotulan@tacoma.gov
(253) 686-4208

 

 

Tacoma's Bridges

Goals of the City's Bridge Program

• Protect the public’s investment, extend the service life of bridges, and provide safe travel across bridges by all modes of transportation
• Improve safety and reliability by rehabilitating bridges to meet structural standards
• Maintain the historic character of Tacoma’s bridges
• Practice innovative maintenance management to efficiently and cost effectively achieve these goals

Did You Know?

All information in this section is based upon the best available information as of January 2024 and is subject to change without notice

• Total bridge assets within the city are valued at over $1 billion in replacement value.
• Currently, the City spends over $1.5 million annually to operate, inspect, and maintain the City’s bridge system
• Of the 40 vehicular bridges in the City’s inventory;
  • 55% (22 total) are considered to be in “GOOD” condition
  • 38% (15 total) are considered to be in “FAIR” condition
  • 8% (3 total) are considered to be in “POOR” condition
    • The terms GOOD / FAIR / POOR are non-technical terms that refer to the general state of a bridge.  GOOD / FAIR / POOR are terms that are not used by engineers to determine or indicate the safety of a bridge. The overall safety, structural adequacy, load carrying capacity, and any other aspect of a bridge are determined by the inspection team and bridge engineer. Their analysis is based on data on the history of the structure and inspection information.
    • The GOOD / FAIR / POOR methodology is interpreted with the experience of the bridge engineer and takes into account the history of the structure and inspection information.

• Approximately (56%) of the bridges in the system are over 50 years old (built prior to 1974).
• The average design life of a bridge is 75 years. Typically, with proper maintenance, bridges can have useful lives of 100 years or more.
• 6 bridges are load restricted for less than legal loads (commercial vehicles and trucks)
• 6 bridges are closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic
  • E. 11th Street (over the Puyallup River) and the Fishing Wars Memorial Corridor Bridges (Fishing Wars Memorial Bridges A through E)
• 6 bridges are over water (3 over the Puyallup River, 1 over the Blair/Hylebos Waterway, and 1 over the Thea Foss Waterway). Note, this doesn’t account for short spans or bridges over seasonal water sources.
• 40 bridges span natural features such as valleys, roads, or railroads.
• 3 bridges are considered short spans, which are less than 20 feet in length, and are not reportable to the FHWA. These short spans are not owned or maintained by Public Works Engineering.
• 2 bridges are moveable bridges (Hylebos and Murray Morgan).
• 4 of the City’s bridges are historical and are on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
  • Murray Morgan Bridge, built in 1911, over the Foss Waterway.
  • E. 34th Street bridge, built in 1937, over Lister Gulch.
  • N. 21st Street Bridge, built in 1910, over Buckley Gulch.
  • N. 23rd Street Pedestrian Bridge, built in 1909, over Buckley Gulch.
    • Due to its inability to carry vehicular loads, this bridge was changed to a pedestrian-only bridge in the early 1990’s

The City of Tacoma owns, inspects, maintains, and operates 40 vehicular bridges and five pedestrian bridges.

Bridge Openings

In Tacoma, there are two vehicular moveable bridges over navigable water, the Hylebos and Murray Morgan Bridges. Federal law requires bridges open for marine traffic, with few exceptions. Tacoma is part of the US Coast Guard 13th District. More information is available at uscg.mil/d13/.

Tacoma’s Movable Bridges

Here is a list of vehicular bridges in Tacoma that open for marine traffic.

Moveable Bridges	Year Built	Vessel Clearance
Hylebos Bridge	Built; 1939 Rehabilitated; 2012	MHHW:  Approx. 18 feet (Depending on tide level)
Murray Morgan Bridge	Built; 1911 Rehabilitated; 2013	Westside: MLLW: 79 feet MHHW: 59 feet Eastside: MLLW: 72 feet MHHW: 52 feet (Depending on tide level)

All clearances are approximate, and the vessel operator shall request an opening if there is any question of the ability to safely pass a vessel under these structures.

How to Request a Bridge Opening

Hylebos Bridge

Hylebos Bridge opens on request 24 hours a day. Contact the bridge tender on duty upon approach. Bridge contact can be made by phone at (253) 627-4655, marine radio VHF, Channel 13, or signaling the bridge with one long and one short blast of your horn. It takes approximately two minutes to open the bridge. Tenders will begin all openings approximately at 1,000 yards upon approach.

Murray Morgan Bridge

Murray Morgan Bridge opens by appointment only. Vessels shall contact the bridge tender a minimum of two hours before any requested opening via phone (253) 627-4655 or by marine radio VHF, Channel 13.  However, to obtain a bridge opening between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., notification must be made to the City of Tacoma bridge tender by 8 p.m. In emergencies, openings shall be made as soon as possible upon notification to the City of Tacoma bridge tender.

Vehicle Weight Restrictions on Bridges

Structure Name	Location	Weight Restriction
Fishing Wars Memorial Bridges (FWMB) (Bridges A through E)	Fishing Wars Memorial Corridor, from Portland Ave. to Fife City Limits.	Closed to all vehicles
River Street Viaduct	Portland Ave., from Fishing Wars Memorial Corridor to Lincoln Avenue	Emergency Vehicle 3; 31 Tons
Hylebos Waterway	E. 11th Street, from Taylor Way to SR 509	Single truck, 6 axle;  33 Tons Single Truck, 7 axle; 35 Tons Emergency Vehicle 3; 34 Tons
Harold Moss Bridge (E. 34th Street over SR 7)	E. 34th Street, from East B Street to East D Street	Emergency Vehicle 3; 36 Tons
E. 11th Street Bridge	E. 11th Street, from Portland Avenue to Milwaukee Avenue	Closed to all vehicles
Lincoln Avenue Truss (over the Puyallup River)	Lincoln Ave. E., from Portland Ave. to Stewart St.	Emergency Vehicles Tandem, 26 T Gross, 36 T (TFD Exempt)
South M Street	South M Street, from South Tacoma Way to Center Street	Single Truck 5 axles, 29 Tons Single Truck, 6 axles, 30 Tons Single Truck, 7 axles, 31 Tons Overweight emergency vehicles, 10 mph

Map of City Bridge Load Restrictions and Closures

Important Items to Remember

• No overloads are allowed on any bridge within the city limits. To inquire about overloads, contact the Bridge Program Manager.
• WSDOT overload permits are only valid on/within state right-of-way and do not allow overloads on City-owned bridges.

Current Bridge Projects

We are maintaining, rehabilitating, and replacing bridges in the city.

• 2018:
  • Tacoma Avenue South Bridge Rehabilitation
• 2019:
  • Puyallup River Bridge (aka Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge B) Bearing Replacement
    South M Street Fire Damage Repair
• 2020:
  • Harold Moss Memorial Bridge (East 34th Street Bridge over SR 7) Concrete Spall Repair
  • Yakima Avenue Bridge Deck Rehabilitation
  • Hylebos Bridge Electrical and Mechanical Inspections
  • Murray Morgan Bridge Electrical and Mechanical Inspections
• 2021:
  • Hylebos Bridge Software Upgrade
  • Murray Morgan Bridge Elevator Window Replacement
• 2022:
  • Murray Morgan Bridge Lift Alignment
  • East 11th Street Viaduct Emergency Bridge Demolition
  • SR 705 Landslide Emergency Repair
  • Stadium Way to SR 705 SB Bridge Deck Rehabilitation
  • Stadium Way to SR 705 NB Bridge Deck Rehabilitation
  • East Dock Street Fencing Repair/Replacement
• 2023:
  • SR 16 Pedestrian Bridge Graffiti Painting
  • South 34th Street E. Bridge Deck Rehabilitation
  • East Lincoln Avenue Bridge (Truss) Seismic Upgrades
• 2024:
  • Hylebos Bridge (west) Fender Emergency Replacement project
  • South 48th Street Seismic Upgrades
  • Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge Replacement (Preliminary Design only)
• 2025:
  • South 48th Street Seismic Bridge Retrofit
  • 34th Street Bridge Deck Repair and Seismic Retrofit
  • Tacoma Spur Stadium NB/SB Ramps
  • East Lincoln Avenue Bridge Seismic Rehabilitation
  • Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge Phase 2

Future Bridge Projects

We are striving to rehabilitate and replace structures within the city.

• 2025 (and beyond)
  • River Street Deck Rehabilitation
  • 4th and Dock Street Deck Rehabilitation
  • Stadium Way and Schuster Ramps to SR 705 Seismic Upgrades
  • Fishing Wars Memorial Replacement (Construction)
  • East 11th Street Corridor Replacement

Project Awards

Each year, the American Public Works Association (APWA) presents the Public Works Projects of the Year awards to promote excellence in the management and administration of public works projects, recognizing the alliance between the managing agency, the contractor, the consultant, and their cooperative achievements.

2020 APWA Project of the Year: Puyallup River Bridge F16A7B Replacement (aka Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge A)
Structures, $25 million–$75 million
APWA 2020 Project of the Year Award

2018 APWA Project of the Year: Tacoma Avenue South Bridge Rehabilitation
Historical Restoration/Preservation, $5 million but less than $25 million
APWA 2018 Project of the Year Award

Available Bridge Inspection Reports

The City of Tacoma Annual Bridge Report 2022 is not the current or best information available at this time. Until a new and more current report can be generated, please use the available information with caution.

Inspections

Staff regularly inspect the bridges to ensure they meet the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) compliance guidelines for safety.

Local Bridge Program | WSDOT (wa.gov)

Bridge Inspection – Safety – Bridges & Structures – Federal Highway Administration (dot.gov)

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) (23, part 650, Subsection C, Bridges, Structures, and Hydraulics)