Tilikum Crossing: public treated to an open house (photos)

The People's Preview of Tilikum Crossing lived up to its name Sunday afternoon. A constant stream of curious folks, shoulder-to-shoulder at points, crowded the new bridge's pedestrian sidewalk while bicyclists squeezed by in their designated lane.

Most everyone was patient and filled with curiosity, looking up to the towering structure or gazing at a sparkling Willamette River and downtown Portland.

TriMet estimates 40,000-50,000 people took advantage of the public open house, being amongst the first to step foot on the newest Willamette River bridge, a cable-stayed design that has been under construction for four years.

Tilikum Crossing, or the Bridge of the People (Tilikum is a Chinook word for people or tribe), was built strictly for TriMet's MAX Orange Line light rail trains, the Portland Streetcar, buses, bicycles, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles. Its official opening is September 12, 2015.

Events leading up to that day include fireworks on August 22, 2015 and First Light on September 10, 2015, which features the night lighting program on the bridge.

It was a huge day for Tilikum Crossing, with the Providence Bridge Pedal including it on their routes in the morning. According to TriMet spokesperson Mary Fetsch, at least 13,000 cyclists took advantage of the access, despite a bottleneck of traffic at one point.

"I watched thousands and thousands of people of all ages (biking)," says Fetsch. "There was a woman who was 95-years-old riding over the bridge. There was so much excitement. People were saying "it's the people's bridge" and they felt it today."

Fetsch points out the unique design of the cable railing, which allows for an "openness."

The cables are different from the concrete columns or ironwork on other Portland bridges. They seem to enable a pedestrian to see more water below and surrounding landscape.

Just before the masses descended on Tilikum Crossing, TriMet held an invitation-only event so that people with disabilities could cross in relative peace.

Jesse Freeby, who was in a motorized wheelchair, and Rose Freeby of Milwaukie were pleased with the accessibility throughout the bridge. They've never dreamt of crossing any other downtown bridge for fear of getting in the way.

Tilikum Crossing has belvederes, or in this case wide areas in the sidewalks, where people can stay out of the path of others at points that jut out from the main structure.

"I like the little pullouts," explains Rose Freeby. "Then you're not in the way of the bikes. We might be able to go on this when its open because it seems like it's spacious enough."

"It's the prettiest one by far, don't you think?" Freeby says. "I thought the Fremont was, but I think (Tilikum Crossing) might have just knocked it off."

"Yeah, because (Tilikum) is accessible all the time," adds TriMet's Mary Fetsch.

--Stephanie Yao Long

@stephyaolong