TriMet Shuts Down MAX Rail Crossings in Washington County Through Aug. 8

July 29, 2026

Contractors with job sites or deliveries near Beaverton Central should plan around two weeks of rail and traffic disruption.

TriMet began its Westside MAX Improvements project on Sunday, July 26, launching a two-week effort to repair and upgrade three aging rail crossings just west of Beaverton Central in Washington County. The crossings being replaced are 30 years old, and the work will disrupt both MAX Blue and Red Line service and vehicle traffic at all three locations for the duration of the project.

The disruption runs in two phases. From July 26 through August 1, MAX Blue and Red Line service is affected between the Elmonica/SW 170th Ave and Millikan Way stations. From August 2 through August 8, the disruption shifts to the segment between Willow Creek/SW 185th Ave and Merlo Rd/SW 158th Ave. TriMet is running shuttle buses to cover the closed stations during both phases so crews can access the tracks to restore the crossings and complete repairs.

This is a relatively small, contained infrastructure project compared to the megaprojects dominating regional headlines right now, but it’s exactly the kind of item that matters most for contractors working day-to-day in the corridor: material deliveries, subcontractor commutes, and any work near the affected crossings should plan for detours and shuttle-bus traffic through August 8. Given the age of the infrastructure being replaced, this is also a reminder that a wave of similar rail-crossing rehab work across the region’s 30-year-old MAX network is likely still ahead.

Sources: KOIN