Beaverton MAX riders heading west will need to budget an extra 15 to 30 minutes per trip starting July 26, when TriMet shuts down portions of Blue and Red line service for two weeks to replace 30-year-old rail crossings.
Shuttle buses will fill the gaps between closed stations, arriving about every seven to eight minutes for most of the day, according to TriMet's service alerts page. However, the buses are smaller than MAX trains and may fill up faster, TriMet noted.
The project hits three crossings in Washington County: Southwest Merlo Road, Southwest 170th Avenue, and West Baseline Road. All were installed during the original Westside MAX extension in the mid-to-late 1990s.
Jeff Johnson, TriMet's senior project manager for maintenance of way, said the wear is cumulative. "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," Johnson said.
Week one: July 26–August 1
Service between Elmonica/SW 170th Ave and Millikan Way stations will be replaced by shuttles. Beaverton Creek station will be partially closed. Riders can still board eastbound trains toward Portland there, but anyone heading west must catch a shuttle bus instead.
The SW Merlo Road vehicle crossing will also close to car traffic for the week.
Week two: August 2–8
The disruption zone shifts. Shuttles will run between Merlo Rd/SW 158th station and Willow Creek/SW 185th Ave Transit Center. Lanes on West Baseline Road will close, and the SW 170th Avenue crossing will shut entirely to vehicles.
Regular Blue and Red line service resumes Sunday, August 9.
Fairgoers, take note
The Washington County Fair runs Friday, July 24, through Sunday, August 2, at Westside Commons in Hillsboro. That overlaps entirely with week one of the MAX shutdown. Riders heading to the fair on MAX will need to use shuttle buses for the westbound leg of their trip.
Rider resources
TriMet staff will be stationed at some closed stops to help riders make connections. For weekday questions, riders can call or text TriMet customer service at 503-238-7433 between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Trip planning is available at trimet.org/planner, and project updates are posted at trimet.org/improvements.
Coming up
- Friday, July 24–Sunday, August 2: Washington County Fair, Westside Commons, 801 N.E. 34th Ave., Hillsboro. Free admission.
- Sunday, July 26–Saturday, August 8: MAX Blue/Red line shuttle bus service west of Beaverton Central Station.
- Sunday, August 9: Full MAX Blue and Red line service resumes.
