Six months ago, Harrisburg Boulevard looked almost exactly as it has for more than five years, dotted by construction equipment. East of downtown Houston, the thoroughfare was more exposed dirt than street and showed little sign of the rail overpass transit officials promised eastside residents.

With no span in sight, residents - not to mention many Metro officials - were over it. For months, board members had called the overpass "a nightmare" and "the project that won't die."

"We had nothing," said Glenn Peters, whom Metropolitan Transit Authority brought in about that time to get the project literally off the ground. "Now look at it."

Months late and many frustrating meetings later, crews have made significant progress on a rail and automobile overpass critical to finishing Metro's Green Line along Harrisburg spanning a set of Union Pacific Railroad tracks. Cars can choose between crossing the freight tracks at grade on a new roadway or using the overpass.

The bridge is a crucial part of completing the Green Line and linking the Magnolia Park Transit Center at Harrisburg and 70th to Houston's central business district.

It is the last piece of Metro's $2.2 billion rail expansion, which added trains along Harrisburg as well as expanded the main Red Line north of the central business district. The Purple Line, which opened with the Green Line, connects the University of Houston area and southeast and Third Ward neighborhoods with downtown.

Construction of the lines has been controversial since they were narrowly approved in 2003, and Metro struggled to complete them amid opposition and construction missteps. Division and delays continue to affect upcoming projects, including a plan for dedicated bus lanes along Post Oak in the Uptown area.

And, despite setbacks, Metro officials recently announced they were pursuing commuter rail to Missouri City, an unfinished part of the 2003 voter-approved plan.

Meanwhile, Harrisburg endures a state of construction that's been the way of life for residents since 2010.

"Everybody is still scared of the construction," said Mark Rodriguez, owner of Gulf Coast Used Cars on Harrisburg, who has sparred for years with Metro officials about the effect the road work has had on local businesses. "I'm not sure traffic has picked up. Yeah, it's open. They have announced it to the community, but our community aren't the only ones who use Harrisburg."

Project progressing

Though much work remains on the $31 million project, completion gets closer with every milestone reached. Provided crews hold to current schedules, Metro could begin testing trains and the track in October and start carrying passengers to the Magnolia Park Transit Center by late December or early January. If the line is ready for passengers, it would be in time for Super Bowl LI, which officials said was a priority.

For now, transit officials are just basking in how far they've come.

"It was a wonderful sight to stand out and watch the first cars go over that bridge," said Peters, whom Metro brought in as a consultant to coordinate the project.

Peters, a veteran of construction projects dating to his days as a soldier building a bridge in Vietnam, has extensive local construction experience, overseeing projects at the county and state level.

For drivers in the area, it was a welcome sign after so many adjustments and disappointments.

"This was terrible for us, just terrible," said Israel Mashkovitz, 69, who lives near Eastwood Park. "Every day it was construction and more construction. ... It's gotten a lot better."

Compared to two years ago, the area looks brighter on a sunny Monday morning. A bicyclist cruises along the east side of Eastwood Park - a staple for local children looking for a swing set or slide. Area shops are bustling with traffic. Workers clearing area parcels for development sparked by the rail line stream into eateries at lunch time.

Though historically a haven for Hispanics looking for homes close to downtown, the area is becoming more diverse as townhome development marches east from EaDo and residents return to once-dilapidated homes that are - one by one - being refurbished.

The substantial progress lately on the troubled overpass is a huge relief for transit officials.

More Information Key dates 2003: Voters narrowly approve building the Green Line. July 19: Bridge opens to automobile traffic. Aug. 27: Rail tracks expected to be in place. December/January: Projected start of passenger service on the Green Line.

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"That is a very good report," Metro chairwoman Carrin Patman said, following an update on the project. "For once, a really good report."

Her comments contrasted starkly with what officials have been saying during the last 18 months.

They conceded they bungled the project at the start by promising an underpass, then they angered residents with slow construction progress, lackluster community outreach and even hostility to their concerns.

Traffic was restored along Harrisburg on June 11, one day before the revised schedule Metro set in February when it conceded the overpass would not be ready by May. The overpass opened to vehicle traffic July 19, a week later than anticipated, but not significantly off-target given the heavy rains this year, officials said.

Rail 'big push'

Metro CEO Tom Lambert said McCarthy - the project's general contractor - expects to have track installed by Aug. 27, about a week behind the current schedule.

"The rail is the big push," Peters said. "We can have everything out there and looking marvelous, but if it doesn't tie into the rail we can't move on."

The sooner tracks are in place and concrete crews out of the way, the sooner the electrical system that powers the train can be installed.

As Metro expanded its rail system from 7.5 miles to nearly 23 in the past six years, electrical and communications work has rarely led to setbacks.

Officials predict the same for this last piece, said Bruce Krantz, senior construction director for Metro.

"Right now, almost every component they need is here," Krantz said.

Electrical crews Monday worked just east of the overpass to get ready, as shoppers darted in and out of stores at the corner of Harrisburg and Wayside. Seeing the crews made some hopeful they'll finally get to hop aboard.

"It will be nice when it's over," said Sheila Leonard, 50. "I can then walk right to the train."

Tying into the Magnolia Park Transit Center, officials have said, improves the connection and provides rail access to shopping areas along Harrisburg, some of which have seen redevelopment in anticipation of the rail line.

Still, skeptics worry Metro is too focused on making its own connections.

"It seems they work a lot more on the bridge than the rest of the project," said Rodriguez, the business owner on Harrisburg. "Is that the best way to do it for the community?"

Both sides, however, share a common goal, even if getting there has been frustrating.

"Get it done with," Rodriguez said. "Finish the job."