Soon afterwards, the city began a large rehabilitation project to completely overhaul all aspects of the bridge.

[8] Originally known as the 11th Street Bridge, it was renamed May 21, 1997, to honor Tacoma-born Murray Morgan (1916–2000), the best-known Pacific Northwest historian of his generation, and author of "Skid Road", a history of Seattle, Washington.

[9][10] The bridge was officially closed to vehicles on October 23, 2007, due to "life safety concerns".

The computers, cables, and motors that operate the lift in the center of the structure were also updated.

[8] On December 15, 2010, it was discovered that thieves had broken into the mechanical room and stolen wiring from the control panel used to raise the bridge for ship traffic on the Foss Waterway.