When Tilikum Crossing glows blue and purple, it’s best to put off any plans to swim in the Willamette River. A public art installation, which features 178 decorative LED lights, illuminates the Bridge of the People in a display that changes based on multiple factors.
Water temperature corresponds to the base color, river height aligns with the contrast + current speed determines how fast the hues change. Tides (yes, even this far inland), affect which direction the luminescence moves — coming in, it goes toward the center; when receding, it shifts to the ends of the bridge. So when it looks like this, the water is particularly chilly.
