TriMet closing MAX Red line routes for 6 nights of testing ahead of Hillsboro extension debut

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – TriMet is in the home stretch of its ambitious years-long effort to expand its MAX Red line, but not before their trains hit the rails for the first time.

After breaking ground in 2021, A Better Red has improved and extended the light rail system from Portland International Airport all the way to Hillsboro. It is expected to open to the public this summer.

But before opening the extension for regular service, TriMet will test the lines for six consecutive nights – closing the lines between PDX and the Gateway/NE 99th Avenue Transit Center from Sunday, June 16 through Friday, June 21 from 7:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.

"Shuttle buses will be running about every 10 minutes. We encourage you to plan up to an extra 30 minutes for your trips. MAX Blue, Green, Orange and Yellow Line trains will operate on their regular schedules," TriMet said.

TriMet recently extended the line by 10 stops along the existing Blue Line stations between Beaverton and Hillsboro after wrapping up their new Gateway North Station, which joined two new bridges over the freeway and added a new railway track.

The project near PDX included a six-week closure that required MAX passengers to take shuttles to and from the airport — adding as much as an hour to their standard commute — as well as several other closures and delays over the years.

“We share our riders’ excitement. We’re on the home stretch of what has been a massive undertaking! Thank you for being so patient these past couple of years,” the transit service previously said in a statement. “A Better Red has been TriMet’s largest MAX project in nearly a decade, and we couldn’t have made the progress we have without your patience and understanding.”