Gresham MAX Improvements project to upgrade rail crossings, improve service along the MAX Blue Line

    Sept. 18, 2019
    The MAX Blue Line will be disrupted, and streets will be closed in Gresham during the two-week construction starting Sept. 22.
    Related To:
    TriMet
    Tri Met 5d825651301a8

    TriMet is preparing for the major improvements project to the MAX Blue Line in Gresham, set to start on Sept. 22 and completed by Oct. 5.  

    Once improvements are completed, it will represent one of the most diverse collections of upgrades TriMet has performed during a two-week period. Crews will be working on a series of upgrades across a 2.3-mile stretch of tracks at the east end of the MAX Blue Line. As crews work, the Blue Line will end and begin service at the Rockwood/E 188th Ave Station, with shuttle buses serving the five final stations at the end of the line.  

    The project is made up of several improvements – upgrades, repairs and replacements – that extend from several feet below ground to nearly 20 feet up in the air. Some of the work will happen at rail crossings, areas where tracks cross (or intersect) roads. Riders, as well as motorists, pedestrians and cyclists, will end up feeling the difference. While the rides will be smoother, the work helps improve the reliability of MAX trains heading through the stretch, which then keeps trains running on schedule throughout the light rail system. 

    Traffic impacts 

    Crews will be making repairs and improvements to seven rail crossings along the MAX Blue Line as part of the Gresham MAX Improvements project. Construction will result in intermittent closures of six roads that intersect with the tracks. The seventh road, Northwest Birdsdale Avenue, will have a single lane closure, with flaggers directing motorists in both directions through the worksite. 

    Crews will work on one to two crossings at a time. Detour signs will direct motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians through the construction zones. 

    At most of the crossings, the work is expected to close the roads for two days each. Once crews finish one intersection, they’ll move on to the next. Crossings that are next to each other will not be closed at the same time to minimize the impacts on motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. 

    Partnering with the city of Gresham 

    The crossing at NW Eastman Parkway, a busy four-lane thoroughfare running past Gresham City Hall, will be closed the weekend of Sept. 21, as crews may need to work around the clock to complete the job there. Here, crews will lift and level the concrete panels at the rail crossing, creating a level surface, and repair the track bed underneath. They’ll fill in the asphalt gaps next to the rails and replace old wooden rail ties with concrete ones. 

    Altogether, the improvements will involve leveling out the asphalt and filling in the gaps between the road and the rail, creating less bumpy trips over the crossings for everyone. The city of Gresham will follow up the improvements and repave from the trackway south to NW Division Street.  

    Two weeks, multiple improvements 

    During the two-week disruption to MAX service, TriMet is making improvements not only to track crossings and railroad ties but also to the overhead wire and the signals system. It will also be replacing switch machines and deep cleaning stations. 

    Because the improvements are extensive, TriMet cannot complete them during normal service hours while the trains are running. These upgrades will have far-reaching impacts. Not only will they help MAX Blue Line trains run on time in the area, but, because all lines interact, the improvements will help with the overall reliability of the MAX system.