TriMet celebrates 25th anniversary of Blue Line Extension

TriMet is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Westside MAX Blue Line Extension. The project has helped to relieve congestion, develop communities and improve the quality of life for people in the community. 

 

The project faced some issues when it was first proposed in 1979 - one of which being the local landscape. Rock—metric tons of it—mainly volcanic basalt, had been lying dormant since the Miocene era. Also underground were soft silt deposits that were scattered sporadically, making the earth under the West Hills an inconsistent mix of brittle, mushy and hard. TriMet spent years researching and engineering the Westside tunnel, with geologists drilling 25 test holes up to 300 feet down to sample soil, rock and ground water. 

 

“Extending MAX west to Washington County was the fulfillment of a promise TriMet and local leaders had made decades before, and it set an example for expansions of the MAX system that would come later,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “Over the past 25 years, we have been committed to building and maintaining the most efficient and reliable light-rail system possible, taking cars off the road, helping people reach their destinations and supporting the growth of the community.” 

 

“To me, the 25th anniversary is really a special milestone. I’ve been able to see… how valuable the Westside expansion of MAX has been to our individual lives, as well as our collective community lives,” said Washington County Chair Kathryn Harrington. “It enabled Downtown Beaverton to further develop, as well as Hillsboro—and not just downtown Hillsboro. In order for us to seek federal funding for the Westside MAX, we had to show that we were offering more housing.”