As you’re likely well aware, Portland Pedal Power loves to find interesting cycle-related news around the Portland area. So how could we pass up the naming of the largest cycling bridge in the US, right in our front yard?
In case you’ve somehow missed the rather large construction site sitting in the middle of the Willamette, the new light-rail bridge is a large component of a new 7.3-mile light rail cycle, connecting north Clackamas County, Milwaukie and inner SE Portland with downtown Portland.
The bridge will cater to light-rail trains, streetcars, pedestrians, and of course cyclists, featuring two 14-feet wide bicycle and pedestrian paths. And, as we alluded to earlier, the 1,720 foot bridge is going to be the longest car-free transit bridge in the United States. Quite the claim for PDX!
The newest addition to our family of bridges now has a name! After combing through 9,500 different submissions, the naming committee finally unveiled what they felt was the best representation of the regions history and culture: Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People. The name has been used for quite some time among the Chinook, and means people, tribe, and family.
Historian Chett Orloff explains the name “conveys connections, in not only the relationships between people, but in the connections we will make as we ride, walk, run and cycle across this beautiful new bridge.” The bridge is scheduled to be completed in September of next year, 2015.
So what do you think? Swing by our Facebook and Twitter page to tell us what you think of the name to our newest addition!
