MAX shutdown west of Providence Park overlaps big weekend in downtown Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — It’s shaping up to be a huge weekend in downtown Portland.

The Timbers play at home Saturday, and the city’s first-ever Staycation is pulling locals back into the heart of the city.

But with MAX service shut down west of Providence Park, TriMet is scrambling to keep people moving.

The weeklong shutdown stretches from Providence Park to Sunset Transit Center, affecting both the Blue and Red MAX lines.

Crews are replacing 1,000 feet of overhead wire and repairing nearly 900 feet of track through the Robertson Tunnel.

Shuttle buses are replacing trains and are scheduled to run every five minutes on weekdays.

But packed buses are leaving some riders behind.

“I don’t think there’s any more room — I think that bus was full,” said Kelisha Williams, who was left waiting after the shuttle doors closed in her face. “Maybe it’s not going that great.”

With just 30 minutes to make an appointment in Beaverton, Williams called a rideshare and paid the price.

She’s not alone. Jaylen Ware, who lives in Hillsboro, says he left home 90 minutes early for his shift in Portland, and still arrived 30 minutes late.

“MAX has been my best friend for a long time,” he said. “Plan earlier, use the TriMet app, make sure that you are at least an hour out.”

TriMet says the project was planned months ago and remains on track to wrap up by Sunday. That includes final work through the Robertson Tunnel and nearby stops.

Still, Saturday’s Timbers fans will face disruptions.

TriMet says it will run express shuttles every seven minutes starting at 5 p.m., running nonstop between Sunset Transit Center and Providence Park.

After the game, return shuttles will pick up at SW 18th and Taylor.

The shutdown also overlaps with Portland Staycation, a three-day event designed to draw locals downtown for concerts, art, and food.

Events like the No Vacancies art walk are still happening, and organizers say there are no changes to the weekend schedule.

“Yeah, that would help a lot if they could go back to normal,” Williams added with a laugh.

MAX trains are expected to resume regular service Sunday morning.