January’s winter storm delayed track and station work underway around the Gateway Transit Center, extending the TriMet MAX light rail disruption. The Gateway Transit Center will remain closed another week, reopening March 4th. When completed, riders will no longer have to use shuttle buses to detour around construction on the Red, Green, and Blue MAX Lines. However, on March 16th, Blue Line passengers in Hillsboro will need to use shuttle buses between Orenco Station and Hatfield Government Center. Regular Blue Line service resumes on March 25th, 2024.
Article originally published January 10th, 2024
Crews working for TriMet will close the Gateway Transit Center for MAX riders from January 14th through February 25th to complete line improvements and rail maintenance. Heavy civil infrastructure contractor Stacy Witbeck has already closed westbound car and bike lanes on E Burnside Street at NE 99th Avenue to stage repair work. Transit riders can use shuttle buses to navigate around the closures, and drivers can use NE Glisan Street when driving west.
The disruption allows for work on the airport leg of the A Better Red project and other track maintenance. For over a month, MAX Blue line trains will transition to shuttle bus service from NE 7th Avenue to the E 102nd Avenue stations. Green line riders will transition to shuttle buses between the Gateway Transit Center and the SE Main Street station. TriMet will suspend the MAX Red Line during this project phase, with the shuttle bus service replacing the Gateway Transit Center to the Portland International Airport leg of the route. TriMet will operate shuttle buses frequently, arriving at stops every 7 to 15 minutes during regular operating hours.
On January 8th, crews working on a critical turn in the MAX Blue line closed westbound E Burnside Street from the Interstate 205 overpass to NE 99th Avenue. They have also blocked off a segment of NE 97th Avenue to stage rail and road crossing plates. Trades people are currently shaping the rail that will replace the east/west track turn to north/south travel. Workers will also remove and replace the plates in the street around the rails that allow automobiles to drive over them. Permits allow street blocking work to last until February 9th, but construction could conclude sooner or require a road closure extension.
As part of this work, construction barricades now block the NE 97th and E Burnside entrance to the I-205 Multi-use Path. However, further north along the path, riders and walkers have regained direct north/south access. During the previous A Better Red construction phases, Multi-use Path travelers needed to take an asphalt track around construction equipment. Recently, crews opened access to a newly paved concrete path with a gradual curve that reconnects the existing bike and pedestrian road. Cement masons added a west side open gutter to help channel water off the path, and electricians wired new overhead lighting into the underside of the overhead rail bridge. Both enhancements make this rebuilt segment safer for users. Construction equipment still borders the multimodel thoroughfare, but people no longer need to slow down and navigate complicated detours.
In addition to the rail and street work occurring over the next month, crews will continue construction on the new Gateway North MAX station platform. That station work will also enhance access to Portland’s Gateway Green Park via a freeway overpass bridge. All the repair and expansion work closures support faster, more efficient, MAX light-rail service. When completed, people will have a better transit system with fewer interruptions to service. During this transit system disruption, riders should anticipate some trips taking longer than usual. Trimet encourages people to consider using other forms of transportation during the January 14th through February 25th closure if shuttle buses do not meet their needs.
Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.