This weekend, Sept. 25-26, TriMet will be resurfacing a span of the Red Line between Portland International Airport and the Gateway Transit Center. Red Line trains will be disrupted for the work, with shuttle buses replacing MAX service.
The work is key to keeping trains running on time and maintaining a strong MAX system. More than a mile of track, 5,600 feet in total, will be resurfaced for the project. This type of work corrects the rails’ alignment, making the rails smooth, minimizing bumps and, ultimately, keeping trains running at regular speeds. More than 100 tons of fresh, crushed ballast—the rocks between the ties and rail—will also be laid down and compressed to help stabilize the tracks and improve drainage.
During the project, the end of the line for airport-bound Red Line trains from Beaverton will be the Gateway Transit Center. From there, riders heading toward the airport can catch a shuttle bus on the northern side of the transit center. Shuttle buses will match Red Line arrivals, running at least every 15 minutes between 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., and every 30 minutes in the early morning and at night.
Since service changes went into effect on Sept. 5, some minor changes have gone into effect at the Gateway Transit Center. The bus stops are organized so they’re all in one location, with improved signage, expanded bus shelters and real-time arrival information. Riders traveling from the airport can catch a shuttle to the Gateway Transit Center at the bus loading area, near the bottom level of the passenger terminal. During this weekend, riders traveling to and from the airport will want to plan an extra time for their trips.
Maps and schedules show you where TriMet buses and MAX trains travel.TripPlanner has step-by-step instructions to and from destinations across TriMet’s service area.
TriMet service returns to normal on Monday, Sept. 27, and MAX Red Line riders will begin traveling on an improved system, with fewer chances of delays or disruptions.