Christmas 2017 is coming very early for Heights area commuters, now that transportation officials have confirmed that the new Yale Street bridge will open in early February – roughly 10 months ahead of the previous schedule.

“They’re working fast,” TxDOT spokesman Danny Perez said Friday, acknowledging the accelerated opening day.

Replacing the Yale Street bridge near the Heights has snarled traffic, which is already impacted when trains block the Heights Boulevard crossing. Without Yale, traffic has poured onto Heights, sometimes backing it up to Allen Parkway.

“We understand the dynamics of anything you close in this vicinity,” Perez said, “and that’s why everyone came together to get this done as quickly as possible.”

The announcement was greeted with cheer from area travelers.

“That just makes my day,” said Wendy Harris, 56, who lives less than three blocks north of the bridge.

The bridge has long been a source of contention between commuters, the city, state transportation officials and preservationists. After commercial development near the bridge – notably the addition of a Wal-Mart - TxDOT restricted heavy trucks from using the old bridge, built in 1931 or 1932 as Houston upgraded its bayou crossings.

The original bridge, demolished earlier this year, was one of seven locally on the National Register of Historic Places. It had to be removed so the new bridge could be built in its place.

Bricks from the original bridge were inlaid in the entrances to the White Oak Bayou Greenway, which opened Friday. A sign discussing the historic bridge will also be placed at the trail entrance.

Progress on the span has moved at lighting pace. By mid-November, the support beams were in place and workers were forming the steel rebar. This week, the concrete deck that will be paved for the road was coming together.

“The contractor was motivated to get this work moving, and so were we,” Perez said. “Sometimes, we can move them kind of quickly and provide whatever help we can.”

The schedule – which included expectations that materials and weather would hamper work – was based on established criteria. Construction, however, never ran into serious delays and steel, concrete and other materials were never in short supply.

Though there are no financial incentives to finishing early for the contractor, Lone Star Road Construction, Perez said the company benefits because it can move those workers to another job.

TxDOT, meanwhile, removes a chokepoint.

“If it’s open, it keeps people off the freeway, for one,” Perez said, noting many have avoided the area. “So, to us, it’s exciting stuff to see it nearly complete this early.”