Starting Sunday, April 16th, TriMet will temporarily close four MAX stations between the Gateway Transit Center and NE 7th Avenue. The light rail disruption will last through Saturday, May 6th, requiring riders to use shuttle buses for transit connections. The 21-day construction window facilitates track tie-in work near the Gateway Transit Center for the A Better Red MAX line extension and maintenance work near the Hollywood Transit Center, replacing rail and ties. TriMet staff suggests travelers plan any trip through this section in advance, as bus lines could see an increase in ridership as people take alternate routes to their destinations.

The station closures affect all MAX Blue, Green, and Red line trains. However, shuttle buses will run every five to seven minutes for Blue Line riders. MAX Green Line trains will only run between Gateway Transit Center and Clackamas Town Center. MAX Red Line trains will only run between Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport, with no service west of Gateway Transit Center. TriMet asks people to use MAX Orange or Blue Line routes for trips west of the NE 7th Avenue Station. Orange and Yellow Line trains will travel uninterrupted with regular service.

TriMet’s, A Better Red project began construction in September 2021 and is set to complete in fall 2024. Work on the commuter rail system extends the MAX Red Line west to serve ten more stations in Beaverton and Hillsboro. The project also improves schedule reliability for the entire MAX system by adding a second track near Portland International Airport and Gateway Transit Center. A new bridge spanning Interstate 84 at Gateway is required to support a second track and will provide a multimodal access point to the north end of the Gateway Green off-road cycling park. Prolonged disruptions to public transit are a burden for regular riders, but these improvements should help speed up routes and make for a more reliable system.

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