Hillsboro-area MAX riders heading east toward Portland will hit shuttle buses instead of trains through Saturday, Aug. 8, as TriMet began its Westside MAX Improvements project on July 26.

The agency is repairing 30-year-old rail crossings at three locations in Washington County, west of Beaverton Central. The work splits into two phases, each closing a different stretch of the Blue and Red lines.

Phase 1: Sunday, July 26 through Saturday, Aug. 1

MAX Blue and Red line service is disrupted between Elmonica/SW 170th Ave and Millikan Way stations. Shuttle buses are replacing trains at stops near the closed stations.

For drivers, the Southwest Merlo Road crossing is closed to vehicles, and lanes on West Baseline Road near the crossing are also shut down.

Phase 2: Sunday, Aug. 2 through Saturday, Aug. 8

The disruption zone shifts west to the stretch between Willow Creek/SW 185th Ave Transit Center and Merlo Rd/SW 158th Ave stations. The crossing at Southwest 170th Avenue will be fully closed to all vehicle traffic.

Washington County Roads lists the 170th Avenue closure between Baseline Road and Merlo Road running through Sunday, Aug. 9.

What riders should know

Shuttle buses will arrive at stops near closed stations about every 7 to 8 minutes for most of the day, according to TriMet's service alert page. The agency advises riders to add 15 to 30 extra minutes to their trips.

Regular Blue and Red line service is scheduled to resume Sunday, Aug. 9.

Important note for Hillsboro riders

The affected stations sit between Beaverton and Hillsboro, not within Hillsboro's own station stops. Riders boarding west of the disruption zone at stations like Hillsboro Central, Orenco, or Quatama should still be able to board trains as usual but will encounter the disruption on their eastbound route. Plan extra time accordingly.

Riders can use TriMet's trip planner at trimet.org or call 503-703-6674 for route help.

Upcoming community dates

  • Through Saturday, Aug. 1: SW Merlo Road closed to vehicles; shuttle buses replace MAX between Elmonica/SW 170th and Millikan Way.
  • Sunday, Aug. 2 through Saturday, Aug. 8: SW 170th Avenue fully closed; shuttle buses replace MAX between Willow Creek/SW 185th and Merlo Rd/SW 158th.
  • Sunday, Aug. 9: Regular MAX Blue and Red line service resumes.