TriMet announces planned weekend closure of MAX Red Line to make room for new rail
Trimet will begin replacing rail along a curved stretch of MAX Red Line spanning 200 feet near Cascade Station as part of the agency’s effort to keep this section of track resilient and create a smoother ride.
From March 6-7, MAX Red Line service between Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport will be disrupted to allow crews to perform these improvements. Shuttle buses will be serving stations between Gateway and the airport.
MAX Red Line improvements
The pre-construction work will begin on Monday, March 1, when crews will start welding together the new pieces of rail. This prep work will be done during regular service hours without disrupting MAX service.
Once the pieces have been connected, crews will tear out about 1,000 feet of rail and replace it with new pieces on the northern side of Cascades Station. While TriMet tries to complete as much work as possible after hours to not disrupt riders, that will not be possible during this project. It will involve some heavy lifting, requiring the use of Hy-rail equipment to move and situate the rail in place. Once the new rail has been set and connected, TriMet run a test train through the section on Sunday night to make sure everything is in proper working order before reopening the Red Line at the start of service on March 8.
Portland International Airport MAX Station reopens
The Portland International Airport Station, which has been closed on and off for nearly a year due to airport construction, reopened ahead of the disruption on Feb. 28. Riders may notice a slightly new look.
Ticket machines and Hop readers have moved to the opposite side of the walkway from where they were previously. As riders walk toward the terminal, ticket machines and Hop readers are now located on the right. Overhead, there will be more open sky, with less building obscuring views. The station has been closed since last March, just prior to the spike in COVID-19 cases that led to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s initial stay-at-home order. That, and the growing urgency around the pandemic halted, postponed or slowed some construction projects. However, the multi-phase makeover of the airport has been able to continue.
