Portland Bridge Tests Ambient Lighting System

The new Tilikum Crossing Bridge in Portland, Oregon began testing its new ambient lighting system last Thursday and Friday. Morgan Barnard, Douglass Hollis, and Anna Valentina Murch designed the LED light system to change colors according to the data streamed from the U.S. Geological Service river monitor near the Tilikum Crossing Bridge. Those living in the area or using the bridge will not only see the light system change colors throughout the day, but they will also witness large changes in color throughout the course of the year as the time of year affects the river’s speed, temperature, and height. 

The 1,720-foot long Tilikum Crossing Bridge is expected to open in the fall of next year. The bridge will accommodate many different types of transportation including light rail, buses, emergency vehicles, and pedestrian foot and bike traffic, but will not allow private cars and trucks. Construction began on the bridge began in 2011 and is expected to be completed later this year. With construction winding down, the light system’s designers felt it was a good time to test their system. The LED lights are all pointed at the bridges cables, four tower pylons, and above and below the deck, and the two landside abutments. The base colors are determined by the water’s temperature. The river speed determines how fast the colors move and change along the bridge, and the water’s height is displayed by another color moving up and down the pylons and cables. The light system is funded by a Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon program that will dedicating 1.5% of the Tilikum Crossing’s constructions costs to local art.