Murray Morgan Bridge re-opening ceremony Feb. 15

The City of Tacoma plans to celebrate the 100th anniversary and re-opening of the Murray Morgan Bridge at noon on Fri., Feb. 1, with a week of special events.

The festivities will kick off on Tues., Feb. 5, when Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland will officially declare Feb. 11-16 as Murray Morgan Bridge Week.

The celebration will also include an evening 5-kilometer fun run and walk through downtown Tacoma and over the bridge at 6 p.m. on Thurs., Feb. 14. Organizers are asking participants to wear head lamps or carry flashlights or glow sticks in order to “light the bridge.” The event starts at 11th and A St. Advance registration is required ($10 before Feb. 11, $15 after) and provided by Tacoma City Marathon Association. Shirts are available for an additional $10 (participants must register by Thurs., Feb. 7 to be guaranteed a shirt). Race packets will be available on Weds., Feb. 13, between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Fleet Feet, located at 3812 North 26th Street, in Tacoma.

On Fri., Feb. 15, at 10 a.m., the City of Tacoma will host a rededication and christening ceremony that will include remarks by Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland and a procession of classic cars provided by LeMay–America’s Car Museum.

“The city is expecting a large crowd . . . and would like to make this a community-wide celebration,” wrote Mayor Strickland and Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber President and CEO Tom Pierson in a Jan. 22 letter to local businesses. “Let’s give attendees a special reason to support local business.”

Strickland and Pierson are encouraging business owners to provide special incentives, such as discounts and food and beverage specials. If you are a business owner who would like to participate, contact Kacie McKinney at kcmckinney@jayray.com by Fri., Feb. 1.

***UPDATE — The following businesses are celebrating Murray Morgan Bridge Week with specials and discounts Feb. 11 – 16:

*Embellish Multispace Salon
$5 brow or lip waxes
Say: “I LOVE the Murray Morgan Bridge” to redeem

*Harmon Brewing Company
Offering a specially brewed 11th St. IPA at Harmon Brewery & Eatery, The Hub and The Tap Room

*Meconi’s Tacoma Pub & Eatery
Harmon Brewing Co. 11th St. IPA on tap (while supplies last)

*Puget Sound Pizza
Harmon Brewing Co. 11th St. IPA on tap (while supplies last)

*Smooth & Juicey
Free boosts for any smoothie and $2 pour over coffees
Say: “I LOVE the Murray Morgan Bridge” to redeem

*Tacoma Comedy Club
Harmon Brewing Co. 11th St. IPA on tap (while supplies last)

*Tacoma Food Co-Op
One free small cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea with a purchase when at checkout
Say: “I LOVE the Murray Morgan Bridge” to redeem

*The Mix
Harmon Brewing Co. 11th St. IPA on tap (while supplies last)

*The Office
Harmon Brewing Co. 11th St. IPA on tap (while supplies last)

*The Red Hot
11% off the Murray Morgan Brat Feb. 11-15

*The Swiss
Harmon Brewing Co. 11th St. IPA on tap (while supplies last)

*Treo
Harmon Brewing Co. 11th St. IPA on tap (while supplies last)

*Two Koi
Harmon Brewing Co. 11th St. IPA on tap (while supplies last)

*Vinum Coffee & Wine Lounge
$5 sandwich or salad
$3 any 16oz coffee
Say: “I LOVE the Murray Morgan Bridge” to redeem

The Murray Morgan Bridge has been closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic since November 2007 when a Washington State Department of Transportation inspection deemed the bridge structurally deficient. In January 2011, the City of Tacoma kicked off the almost two-year project of rehabilitating the bridge and restoring it to its original color.