This weekend, crews working on the TriMet A Better Red project will close Interstate 84 in both directions near the Interstate 205 junction. Starting at 10 p.m. on Friday, October 6th, drivers must use an alternate route to bypass the freeway closure. The disruption will last through the weekend, reopening at 5 a.m. on Monday, October 9th.
The closure allows TriMet crews working over the freeway to remove protective wood decking added to a new rail bridge during previous concrete pours. As construction nears completion on the MAX Red Line rail expansion project, these temporary platforms are no longer needed. TriMet representative Tyler Graf explained that crews will work near the roadway and perform work above it, causing a potential safety hazard. Out of concern for drivers and workers, it is necessary to close the freeway.
TriMet’s A Better Red project impacts multiple locations in the Portland Metro area, extending the MAX Red Line west to serve ten more stations and improving schedule reliability by adding tracks where the system currently uses shared single tracks for bidirectional travel. This portion of the project completes a second freeway overpass that will create a dedicated southbound light-rail path. Until this point, light-rail traffic on this segment needed to wait for a single track to clear of opposing trains before proceeding, causing systemwide delays. This new bridge also features a multi-use path that leads to the south entrance of the Gateway Green bike park.
During the closure, Westbound I-84 drivers should use the I-205 South exit and then merge back onto I-84 West. Eastbound I-84 Drivers can use the I-205 South / NE Glisan Street exit and then travel east on NE Glisan to NE 122nd Avenue. Turn left onto northbound 122nd and then use the I-84 East onramp. Drivers should plan for delays, and TriMet encourages motorists to use TripCheck.com for real-time traffic information.
This weekend’s disruption should be the last I-84 closure related to TriMet’s A Better Red project. Several months of additional work are needed before the new rail infrastructure is ready for use. However, this marks a significant milestone in the project and signals that the Max Red Line will likely reopen on schedule. Since June 18th, TriMet has suspended MAX Red Line service from the Gateway Transit Center to the Portland International Airport (PDX). Riders have relied on shuttle buses to fill in the gap in service. However, that segment should reopen on October 21st, 2023.
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