TriMet construction near SW 11th & Morrison to improve reliability on MAX Blue and Red lines

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A weekend disruption from Nov. 16-17 will help upgrade a 100-foot section of the original MAX system in Downtown Portland

This November, TriMet crews will make improvements to a 100-foot section of the MAX system in Southwest Portland. This will require a short disruption to the MAX Blue and Red lines near the Galleria/SW 10th Ave MAX Station, with work taking place on Southwest 11th Avenue and Morrison Street. 

TriMet encourages riders to plan ahead Saturday, Nov. 16, through Sunday, Nov. 17, as construction will disrupt service between the Galleria/SW 10th Ave and Providence Park MAX stations. Trains will be disrupted for less than a half mile. Only the westbound platform of Providence Park will be closed. For westbound trips from Providence Park, riders will use the eastbound platform. Regular MAX Blue and Red Line service will resume on Monday, Nov. 18. MAX Green, Orange and Yellow Line trains are not affected by the project and will operate on their regular schedules.

While the SW 11th Ave & Morrison MAX Improvement Project will not completely close any MAX station, TriMet will provide shuttle buses to move riders around the construction zone. Riders may also choose to walk, bike or use a mobility device to travel a little over 0.40 miles, which takes around eight minutes.

A view of the MAX turnout. Left, the turnout is under construction in the 1980s, ahead of the opening of MAX. Right, how the turnout looks today. It sits between Southwest Morrison and Yamhill streets at 11th Avenue. The switch on Southwest Morrison Street, which moves trains off the mainline through the turnout, will be removed during the project.

During the project, crews will remove a rail switch, used by trains to move from one track to another. It was part of the original Downtown endpoint of the MAX Blue Line from 1986 to 1997, a period when trains regularly used the switch as a way of turning around to head back in the opposite direction. In 1998, the MAX Blue Line’s Westside Extension to Washington County was completed, creating what remains the longest uninterrupted MAX line in TriMet’s light rail system, stretching more than 30 miles between Gresham and Hillsboro. Nowadays, the switch and the original MAX turnout at Southwest 11th Avenue and Morrison Street is typically used by extra service trains serving Timbers and Thorns games or other special events.

The weekend disruption will allow crews to work around the clock to complete the work.

Shuttle buses will arrive about every five minutes to take riders between the Galleria/SW 10th Ave and Providence Park MAX stations. Riders can sign up for service alerts and receive reminders about this and other planned or unplanned service adjustments by going to trimet.org/alerts. 

Plan ahead

While the scope of the project will be contained to a small area, we encourage riders traveling through Downtown on the MAX Blue and Red lines to plan an extra 15 minutes for their trips. There will also be minor impacts to auto traffic along Southwest Morrison Street between Southwest 10th and 12th Avenues while the project is underway. Construction flaggers and signs will direct motorists around the workzone.

We will have staff near the shuttle bus locations for most of the day to help riders make their connections. Signs will also direct riders to these stops.

Eastbound trains from Hillsboro

Trains heading from Hillsboro to Downtown Portland will stop and offload riders at Providence Park. To continue your MAX trip, board a shuttle bus on Southwest 18th Avenue near Southwest Morrison Street. It will take you to a stop at Southwest 10th Avenue. From there, go south to the Library/SW 9th Ave MAX Station to board a MAX Blue Line train to Gresham or MAX Red Line train to Portland International Airport. 

Westbound trains to Hillsboro

MAX Blue and Red Line trains heading west to Hillsboro will stop and offload riders at the SW 10th Ave/Galleria MAX Station. To continue on MAX, board the shuttle bus at Southwest 10th Avenue and Morrison Street. It will take you to Southwest 18th Avenue, with the Providence Park MAX Station nearby. From the Providence Park eastbound platform, you can board a MAX Blue Line to Hatfield Government Center MAX Station or MAX Red Line to Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds MAX Station.

Fuller shuttle buses expected Nov. 17

The Portland Trail Blazers are playing a 3 p.m. game at the Moda Center on Sunday, Nov. 17, which will likely result in more riders near Providence Park and a greater demand for shuttle buses. Walking, biking or using a mobility device to go between Providence Park and the Library/SW 9th Ave MAX Station may be an option for some. The two stations are less than half a mile apart via Southwest Yamhill Street. 

Improvements and reliability

By making improvements to the light rail system, TriMet is ensuring that MAX trains remain a consistent and reliable means of transportation for years to come. With roughly 60 miles of track connecting 97 stations spread across three counties, MAX is the third largest light rail system in the Western United States–and the second oldest.

Improvements help boost reliability and improve the customer experience with smoother rides. In recent years, that has meant adding track between the Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport, improving train movement through the Gateway area and extending the MAX Red Line to Hillsboro Airport/Fairgrounds, all part of our recently completed A Better Red MAX Improvements and Reliability Project.  


Crews work hard to keep the system moving. We appreciate your understanding as they complete this work, and we thank you for your patience. For information on the project, go to trimet.org/improvements.