Work on a trail connecting Swan Island to North Willamette Boulevard will continue through the end of the year,

officials confirmed this week.

The city had expected the

to be finished last month, but limited access to the site has slowed construction. Mark Ross, a spokesman for the bureau, said officials now estimate it will be finished Dec. 31.

The city broke ground on the $2.5 million project a year ago after six years of outreach and planning. Because much of the work has happened out of sight on the lower trail, most North Portland commuters see only the traffic control cones the city installed for the project.

For the past year, cyclists and cars have squeezed together into narrow Willamette Boulevard lanes to navigate the traffic diverters. But city officials said they'll remove them as soon as possible.

"Although it may not be obvious in a glance from the street, progress is being made," said Susan Watt, the project's construction supervisor. "The work has to be completed in stages because the work space is so limited. They cannot perform more than one task at once. They only have a 10-foot wide path with cliff above and below, and this has caused the work to go slower."

Commuters should see the nearly half-mile trail take shape this fall. Crews will spend the next three to four weeks building a retaining wall to control erosion on the steep hill. And the bureau will plant more than 6,000 native plants, including Oregon ash, vine maple, creeping Oregon grape and goldenrod. They've been waiting for rain before planting, though.

A California company has built the bridge that will stretch over the Union Pacific Railroad, but that structure won't ship to Portland until the accompanying tower and stairs are finished later this month.

Workers will finish the project by installing a drainage system in the upper trail and paving the path. To see the planned path, check out this

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