Come August, TriMet will begin the largest MAX improvement projects to date, resulting in a four-week closure of the Steel Bridge to allow crews to make a series of major upgrades to the MAX light-rail system that will improve resiliency, improve on-time performance and create a smoother ride.
From Aug. 2, through Aug. 29, the upper deck of the Steel Bridge will be closed to auto, bus, MAX light rail, bicycle and pedestrian traffic to accommodate the work. All MAX lines—Blue, Green, Orange, Red and Yellow—will be disrupted. To move people around the disruption, shuttle buses will depart about every two to five minutes, serving Rose Quarter, Union Station/NW 5th & Glisan and Old Town/Chinatown stations.
Bus lines 4, 8, 35, 44, and 77, as well as all auto traffic, will be detoured to other bridges. Pedestrian and bicyclists will be able to cross the Steel Bridge on the lower-deck pathway, which will remain open during the entire project.
TriMet says this improvement project will have a positive effect for MAX riders system-wide, improving reliability and keeping trains on time. Last August, TriMet completed MAX track and switch improvements in the Rose Quarter area in preparation for this work. This project will build upon those upgrades, resulting in fewer issues that slow or disrupt access across the bridge. The project will also add a boost to the economy, supporting 450 jobs in the community.
Steel Bridge MAX improvements
The Steel Bridge MAX Improvements Project will increase system reliability and revitalize light rail across this historic 108-year-old bridge, the nucleus of the MAX system with more than 620 trains crossing it every day. Crews will work on the bridge 24 hours a day during the four-week closure. Project work includes installing improved lift joints and locks, new switches and signal equipment, as well as technological improvements. Nearly 9,000 linear feet of rail and expansion rail also will be replaced.
Among the oldest bridges crossing the Willamette River in Portland, the Steel Bridge has served as a major crossing point since it opened in 1912. In the mid-1980s, it became part of TriMet history when it closed for two full years for the construction of the MAX Blue Line. Today, with a mix of auto, bicycle, pedestrian, bus and train traffic coexisting on the span, it’s become one of the most multimodal bridges in the country, according to the agency. This project will help TriMet and the bridge move people into the future as the community recovers after the pandemic and the region grows.
Navigating the disruption
During the project, TriMet will make adjustments to bus service and run shuttle buses to keep MAX riders moving. TriMet also encourages people to cross the Steel Bridge on foot, bicycle or by other mobility devices as the lower pathway will remain open during the project.
- MAX Orange and Yellow Line trains will only between Union Station and Interstate Rose Quarter.
- MAX Green Line trains will only run between Rose Quarter TC and Clackamas Town Center.
- MAX Red Line trains will only run between Gateway Transit Center and Portland International Airport.
- MAX Blue Line trains will run between Hatfield Government Center in Hillsboro and Old Town/Chinatown Station on the west side of the Willamette River, and between Rose Quarter TC and Cleveland Ave stations on the east side.
To lessen the disruption to MAX Red Line riders heading to and from the airport, shuttle buses will run directly between the Kenton/N Denver Ave Station, which will be served by both Blue and Yellow Line trains, and the airport.
MAX Blue Line trains will run between Hatfield Government Center in Hillsboro and Old Town/Chinatown Station on the west side of the Willamette River, and between Lloyd Center and Cleveland Ave stations on the east side.
Bus service impacts
Construction will affect bus lines 4, 8, 35, 44, and 77. Buses will be unable to cross the Steel Bridge and will detour to other nearby bridges, which will require some bus-stop closures near the Steel Bridge. Line 17 will also have some temporary stop closures and Line 85 will be detoured through the Rose Quarter area.
