Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People is the newest bridge crossing the Willamette River in Portland. It officially opens in September of 2015. Why is this a Reappearing RR Smiles Cache you may ask? It is a unique transit and pedestrian only bridge, no cars and trucks are allowed. When it opens next year, the MAX new Orange line to Milwaukie will cross this bridge. In addition Portland Streetcar will be sharing MAX tracks on the bridge to complete its loop line around downtown and the eastside. TriMet Busses will also cross the river here. Finally there will wide pedestrian and bicycle friendly paths.
The Bridge is a cable stayed bridge with a total span of 1720 feet, with span between the towers of 780 Feet. The towers are 180 feet tall, and the vertical clearance for river traffic is 77.5 feet. The estimated cost for the bridge is $134Million. The name was selected via a contest TriMet held in 2013. Tilikum is apparently a Chinook Indian word for people, tribe or family. The bridge links the rapidly developing South Waterfront District on the west side with a light industrial area on the eastside near OMSI and the new Rail Heritage Center Museum.
The cache is located at the end of a brand new street with a nice view of the bridge. It is a large micro, or a small small. Please enjoy the view and smile, I know I do when I think about rail transit expansion.