Westside Max Blue Line Extension
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WESTSIDE MAX BLUE LINE EXTENSION Background In 1993, construction began on the tunnel, and in 1994, track construction began in downtown Portland, where In 1979, studies began on transit options and the Westside line tied into the existing line on Morrison alignments to connect Downtown Portland to and Yamhill streets. Work began soon after on the Beaverton as far west as SW 185th Avenue. By 1983, Beaverton segment to SW 185th Avenue, including a the studies were complete, and local jurisdictions new maintenance facility for low-floor cars at Elmonica. selected light rail as their preferred alternative along the Sunset Highway (Hwy 26) corridor. At this point Hillsboro signs on the TriMet Board suspended further work, awaiting The 1979 studies for the Westside anticipated that completion of the 15-mile Eastside MAX light rail the line would eventually extend from SW 185th project, which opened in 1986. Avenue to the suburban city of Hillsboro. In 1989, the L r ba m local jurisdictions askedo to add that extension to the The tunnel option Westside project becaused of rapid development. The SMITH AND BYBEE M By 1988, Eastside MAX light rail was met with wide environmental studies for thisWETLANDS NA T6.2-mileURAL AREA addition,arine approval and planning resumed on Westside light mostly located on an abandoned rail right-of-way, Newberry PIER C COLUMBIA RIVER ol tland Expo Center PARK um rail. The first hurdle was crossing the West Hills, which progressed rapidly, and in 1994, Hillsborob becameor the ia P rose 700 feet above Downtown Portland and required western terminus of the Westside project. PORTLAND N PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL Marine RACEWAY Delta Park/ F a six percent grade along Hwy 26. While the original essenden Vanport Portland hns Jo International Airport MAX light rail vehicles were designed to handle such St dge Design and constructioni Kenton/ MLK town Br German N Denver Lombar a grade over short distances, concerns arose that the d N Lombard Transit Center highlights Ai Co rp grade would reduce reliability, particularly during icy WILLAMETTE RIVER lum or bia Mt Hood Ave t Twin tunnels Basin Rosa Parks Cascades weather, and increase travel times and maintenance Kaiser FOREST PARK West Union N Killingsworth costs. After prolonged debate, a decision was reached The West Hills tunnel is actually twin tubes, COLUMBIA RIVER Laidlaw • Killingsworth Cornelius Pass Parkrose/Sumner d Transit Center toEvergreen construct a three-mile tunnel under the West Hills. each three miles long and 21 feet in diameter. th Yeon Ai N Prescott 82n rpor Marine 85 S ky t 1 BLUE LAKE l i NE PORTLAND Thompson n St Helens San REGIONAL PARK e dy ncoe Evergreen MLK BIG FOUR CORNERS Gle e t NATURAL AREA hu th S any 5 d 1 r 24th Albina/ d Cornell Beth t /SE 8th Ave Mississippi 223 33r Hawthorn Sandy J o 1s tal Sandy Orenco/NW 231st Ave C Farm orne rd ll Broadway a ld Government Center Rose Quarter n H NW PORTLAND NE 82nd FAIRVIEW is tfie ty Hospi Quatama/ ornell Transit Center Halsey to a li C Halsey 7th r Hillsboro Central/ i H 25 GLENN c SE 3rdT Transitua Center NW 205th Ave Hollywood/ OTTO C TROUTDALE o Ba Fair Complex/ Gateway/NE 99th t WOOD seline NE 42nd s Main l u Hillsboro Airport AUDUBON Transit Center 1 m SANCUTARIES Transit Center NE 60th 8 VILLAGE Glisan 1 e b Oak 158th id d s T rn Kings Hill/ i u a r o B E 102nd Ave Glisan E 122nd Ave o d o SW Salmon St R ngton/ es E 148th Ave E 162nd Ave E 181st Ave u w n t i r an v 2th d W 1th k a al r e th Ave 1 Murray B 1 k Stark a r o e Sunset ngton Park G Rockwood/E 188th Ave ashi 2 Elmonica/ r l H W o HILLSBORO Willow Creek/ e w r SW 170th Ave Transit Center Washingt E 172nd Ave Stark B on SE 1 ashi Stark y ls SW 185th Ave l W d Ruby Junction/E 197th Ave i Hawthorne MT TABOR JACKSON BOTTOM H SE Main Transit Center r PARK Burnside WETLANDS Merlo Rd/ 82n PRESERVE a Tu d d ala 2nd tin V SW 158th Ave e alley Hwy Je C 2 nd th nkins th 1 50th 62n Cornelius Pass Goose Hollow/ 82 1 85 Civic Drive Division 48 ane Clinton/ 1 1 SW Jeerson St 1 TUALATIN HILLS Beaverton Creek K SE 12th Division NATURE PARK n Patto SE Division Cesar Chavez Gresham City Hall Cleveland Ave on SE 17th Powell Millikan Way Cany P Gresham Central SW PORTLAND MARQUAM & Rhine owell Tualatin Vall NATURE PARK Transit Center ey Beaverton SE Powell Hwy SE 17th & Holgate SE PORTLAND Beaver R Beaverton Transit Center ton-Hillsdale Hwy o SE Holgate b 209th Central e P 229th r o M t well Valley M s aca c L POWELL BUTTE Hogan o u NATURE PARK Lusted d BEAVERTON g am h JENNE Allen l i n W oo Lents/SE Foster BUTTE MAX Blue Line light rail service connects Hillsboro, Beaverton, Portland City Center, East Portland dstock GRESHAM Orient on SE Bybee SPRINGWATER CORRIDOR y OAKS les a BOTTOM r B Farmington 170th O r ry WILDLIFE Hall and Gresham. r REFUGE a nd e r Mu b Multnomah a r 282 ls F a ur SE Flavel b BUTTES W r hol e e ar NATURAL lc B h TOWLE n Sc SE Tacoma/ AREA g M BUTTE e d o Johnson Creek u WILLAMETTE R th Johnson Creek nt Scott Hall/Nimbus NATIONAL Taylors 82n 90 Brockman Washington Square CEMETARY 1 SPRINGWATER WILLAMETTE RIVER Mount Hood Capitol Taylors Ferry th Transit Center Ferry RIVER VIEW CORRIDOR NATURAL 90 AREA 1 EAST Barbur Blvd BLISS COOPER Transit Center SE Fuller nd BUTTE MOUNTAIN 32 NATURE PARK 1 145th King Barbur Idleman d 72n King 1 121st G Milwaukie/ MILWAUKIE th reen TRYON CREEK Main y nd b rr C h STATE 35 e u K a t e F 1 rg r r s NATURAL AREA r 5 e n e 222 7 v o d e Clackamas Town Center 1 o i r 129th B s /H r w Transit Center Tigard e y HAPPY v 2 W i 12 alnut Transit Center R Lake Harmony VALLEY lls Ferry Scho SE Park Sunnybrook TIGARD 82n S 9 MOUNT TALBERT unn DAMASCUS 7 ys Co d NATURE PARK ide K un Kellogg Creek th ru try Club Gaarde se Way Bull Mountain Johnson 2nd Lake Oswego 2 Bonita LAKE 1 Transit Center Thiessen OSWEGO W Clackamas-Boring e OSWEGO LAKE b s s Carman McLoughlin t r e Hall ey r ge d Oa C f Ben Durham l o e McV Be Sou Carver/Hwy 212 a th Sh tfi Roots c R ore th k e r Boones Ferry l a e oy d 35 m 1 R a Jennifer nd s / COOK isigg H nnings 232 PARK w Riv Je Am e y W r 2 2 HERITAGE PINE illamett 82nd 4 NATURAL AREA Tualatin rive D r e e Cl TUALATIN RIVER GLADSTONE v a i c fic Hwy 4th ka NATIONAL ci R 2 m Pa a WILDLIFE REFUGE 1 Tualatin s s/Hwy 224 a m TUALATIN MARY S. YOUNG a NORTH LOGAN k STATE c CLACKAMAS RIVER NATURAL AREA RECREATION AREA la d C oo akers Ferry BARTON rw Sagert B PARK he t in- S J r t Tuala o h n we WEST l s Langer o E n LINN egon RIVER ISLAND Or 65th Holcomb Sp B rin o gw r at l e a Salamo r n d Oregon City Transit Center d SHERWOOD or Boones Ferry ta Sunset S lls l l a i F Sc te H h t Redland ae Willame OREGON C d e a d r CITY s a c L a Mou McLoughlin Mo NEWELL d Ba s ntain CREEK e k l e e a CANYON c t ll le fi r e CANEMAH ap ci P WILLAMETTE RIVERBLUFF a M a L P d t el n in an o P l d a COFFEE LAKE WILSONVILLE tr South E n CREEK e WETLANDS C Bea v e WILLAMETTE rcr NARROWS ee FOREST k Wilsonville Washington Park Station • Washington Park Station, the only stop in the three- mile tunnel, is the deepest transit station in North America at 260 feet below ground. • Station elevators and stairwells are monitored through closed-circuit video cameras. Staff has direct 9-1-1 access and can operate fire doors, air Because its geology consists of hard rock from • vents and electricity in case of an emergency. ancient lava flows up to 16 million years old, layered with soft ground and rock fragments, • The underground station’s unique public art has the tunnel has several horizontal and vertical curves helped make the stop a destination in itself. as designers tried to follow the best rock conditions. • The station serves the Oregon Zoo, World Forestry • Excavation began at the west end, where varied Center, Portland Children’s Museum and the geologic material required the use of conventional Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and offers access to drill and blast mining techniques. the rest of Washington Park. • The eastern two-thirds of the tunnels, composed Sunset Transit Center primarily of Columbia River basalt, were excavated Leaving the tunnel, the rail line follows Hwy 26 to the using a 278-foot-long tunnel-boring machine.