Beaverton commuters heading west on the MAX Blue or Red Line will need to board shuttle buses instead of trains through August 8 as TriMet repairs three aging rail crossings in Washington County.

The Westside MAX Improvements project began Sunday, July 26, and runs through Saturday, August 8. The work is split into two phases, each affecting different stations and road crossings.

Phase 1: July 26 through August 1

MAX Blue and Red Line service is disrupted between Elmonica/SW 170th Ave and Millikan Way stations. SW Merlo Road is closed to all vehicle traffic at the rail crossing.

Beaverton Creek MAX Station is partially closed. Riders can still board eastbound trains toward Portland, but westbound service is unavailable. Anyone heading west must use the shuttle buses.

Phase 2: August 2 through August 8

The disruption shifts to the stretch between Willow Creek/SW 185th Ave and Merlo Rd/SW 158th Ave stations. Lanes on West Baseline Road near the crossing will close, and the SW 170th Avenue crossing will shut down entirely to vehicles.

What riders should expect

Shuttle buses are arriving near closed stations at roughly seven-minute intervals, according to TriMet. The agency says trips will take an extra 15 to 30 minutes. The shuttles are smaller than MAX trains and may fill up more quickly.

TriMet personnel are stationed at some closed stations to help riders make connections.

"These crossings see heavy bus traffic. They see heavy semi-truck traffic and a lot of auto traffic, so that all takes a toll over the decades," Jeff Johnson, TriMet's senior project manager for maintenance of way, told KOIN on Sunday, July 26.

The three crossings being repaired were installed during the Westside MAX Blue Line Extension in the mid-to-late 1990s and are nearly 30 years old. The crossings carry both rail and heavy road traffic daily.

Washington County Fair note

Riders heading to or from the Washington County Fair, which runs through Sunday, August 2, should factor in the disruption when planning trips.

When normal service returns

Regular MAX Blue and Red Line service is scheduled to resume Sunday, August 9. Riders can plan trips at trimet.org/planner or call TriMet Customer Service at 503-238-7433 on weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.