MAX Blue and Red Line trains are running again after a two-week shutdown that rerouted thousands of Beaverton-area commuters onto shuttle buses, and TriMet is already signaling its next big project: a year-long overhaul of the Beaverton Transit Center starting this fall.
Regular service resumed Sunday, Aug. 9, after crews spent July 26 through Aug. 8 upgrading three rail crossings in Washington County at Southwest Merlo Road, Southwest 170th Avenue and West Baseline Road, according to a TriMet news release by Tyler Graf.
The work included improving drainage, repairing rail and repaving road sections where decades of 100,000-pound trains, buses and tractor-trailers had caused crossings to droop below street level.
As we reported July 26, shuttle buses replaced trains west of Beaverton Central during the closure.
TriMet said the project finished on schedule and thanked riders for their patience, saying the agency "never likes to disrupt service" but the work was necessary.
What's next: the transit center
The agency's attention now turns to the Beaverton Transit Center, which TriMet describes as one of its busiest hubs. The center serves the Blue and Red MAX lines, the WES Connector and 10 bus lines, roughly a quarter-mile east of the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts.
Planned upgrades include:
- New high-capacity bus shelters
- Enhanced lighting and additional security cameras
- Expanded capacity for 40-foot and 60-foot buses
- Two overhead pantograph chargers to power electric buses
TriMet's Aug. 10 announcement says construction will start this fall and last through fall 2027. However, the agency's project page lists a different timeline, stating construction began in spring 2026 with completion expected by spring 2027. TriMet has not publicly explained the discrepancy.
Buses and trains will continue serving riders on regular schedules throughout construction, TriMet said, though riders may encounter relocated stops or adjusted walking paths.
The Beaverton Transit Center project is part of TriMet's broader Layovers & Transit Centers Improvements initiative, which also includes a simultaneous overhaul of the Oregon City Transit Center.
Riders with questions can contact TriMet Community Affairs at 503-962-2150, email [email protected], or call the construction hotline at 503-962-2222.
