A group of local and state officials have taken a large step in their efforts to save Tacoma’s historic Murray Morgan Bridge. The bridge was closed last year, after years of neglect, when Washington State Department of Transportation officials determined that corrosion had made it unsafe to carry traffic.

House Bill 3158 would allow Tacoma to create a Transportation Improvement District, which would raise city sales taxes by 0.2 percent to help pay for repairs and ongoing maintenance and operation of the bridge. Officials emphasize that loans, grants or other financial assistance would be used for maintenance, in addition to money generated by increased sales tax. Money generated would total an estimated $54 million, which would be added to $26 million set aside by WSDOT to demolish the bridge. Other revenue such as state and federal dollars, tolls, competitive grants, and local and private revenue sources would be used to complete renovation. State Representative Dennis Flannigan, D-Tacoma, characterizes the bill as more of a conversation starter than the final word. He also emphasizes that State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond has worked hard with local officials and advocates to craft a viable solution.

“People in the area are working together to find if there is a path to get the bridge rebuilt,” he says. “At the same time they’re rushing around town to figure out how to get the $54 million, we have a recession looming. The bill gives us the civic direction; it’s really a place holder until we come up with a complete solution. Fifty-four million dollars would help, but there are a whole series of ways to get where we want to be.”

Most officials agree that the bridge is important as a piece of local infrastructure. It connects downtown Tacoma to the nearby tideflats, provides the fastest route to hospitals for emergency workers and people working in and around the Port of Tacoma, and plays an important role in the community’s history. Once an important link to the state highway system, the bridge’s importance was eclipsed in 1997 when officials built a bridge at 21st Street. For years the bridge has deteriorated while local advocates have negotiated transfer of ownership from WSDOT to the City of Tacoma, which would then be tasked with restoring the bridge. But WSDOT’s promises to give the bridge to the city have been mired in disagreements related to cost and responsibility for deferred maintenance and rehabilitation, according to a legislative report. City spokesman Rob McNair Huff says a study assessing conditions, identifying rehabilitation options and funding requirements is expected to be delivered by consultants David Evans and Associates in coming weeks.

Meanwhile, a group of local legislators and supporters have crafted a bill that would help generate funds needed to restore the structure. The 2004 estimated price tag for restoration would total $77 million. That doesn’t take into account factors such as skyrocketing costs of construction materials and inflation.

The David Evans and Associates report will update that figure and provide best suggestions for people strategizing to save the bridge.

“The City of Tacoma and Paula Hammond have been working diligently to find a way to keep the bridge,” says Flannigan. “Exactly how we can do that is still in float.”