Railroad crossings to close in August for repairs; city warns of limited detours

City Engineer Mike McCarthy told the Tualatin City Council that Portland & Western Railroad will perform repairs that will close two railroad crossings this month.

"The 1st one will be on Tualatin Road at the 90 Degree Corner right near the Country Club," McCarthy said, adding that work there is planned for Monday, Aug. 3, with crews closing the roadway about 7 a.m. and reopening by the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 4. He said detours for that closure will use Swift Drive and 90th Avenue. McCarthy said the railroad plans a longer closure for the Boones Ferry Road crossing north of the Tualatin River the week of Aug. 10, with the crossing closed from Monday morning through Thursday evening, Aug. 13.

McCarthy warned the council that the Boones Ferry closure will be particularly disruptive because alternate crossings are limited. "This closure will be particularly difficult because the alternate route is I‑5, and there's only two other crossings in the city," he said. He added that TriMet will reroute buses and that pedestrian shuttle service will be arranged.

Council members asked staff about public notifications and urged social media and web alerts; McCarthy said the railroad will place signs and that staff would coordinate with city communications and ODOT on messaging. ODOT was noted as the responsible agency for the state‑highway crossing. Staff said they will work with TriMet on reroutes and that pedestrian shuttles will connect via Nye/Burger and Bridgeport interchanges.

The council did not take formal action but directed staff to coordinate public information and outreach ahead of the closures.