TriMet has completed the 1st Avenue MAX Improvements Project, which rejuvenated a section of the original MAX light rail alignment.
The project was the biggest rail replacement project in MAX history. The area in Portland, Oregon is part of the original MAX alignment that opened Sept. 5, 1986. During the project, crews replaced switches on 1st Avenue near SW Morrison and near NW Couch. They pulled out old ties and other materials and replaced them with longer-lasting materials. They also replaced curved rail in the eastbound track way near the Skidmore Fountain.
To maximize the time MAX service had to be shut down along 1st Avenue, crews also cleaned out track drains and improved drainage under the Morrison Bridge. They replaced some hardware on the overhead wire system, upgraded a substation, and replaced platform tiles.
After serving riders for 30 years, there are more upgrades and replacements planned for MAX. Beginning August 21 through September 3, crews will tackle the next major project, this one in the Rose Quarter Transit Center area. Crews will replace switches, as well as realign the track just east of the transit center. Those improvements will require moving poles that hold up the overhead power wire and replacing the signal system, among other work.