Oh what a rocky ride it's been.

Political opposition. A Buy America violation. Construction delays. Contaminated soil that sank an underpass. Overweight and badly-manufactured railcars. More construction delays.

When trains finally start rolling along the new Green Line into neighborhoods east of downtown on Wednesday, the last leg in Metro's controversial multi-billion dollar project to establish light rail in Houston will be open for business.

But the occasion, coming just days before the Super Bowl, also marks the end, for now, of any light rail expansion in the city.

What the future now holds for Houston's rail dreams, however, is hard to predict - and that may be the only opinion pro-rail advocates and longtime train critics share.

Officials, namely leaders at Metropolitan Transit Authority, acknowledge the completion of the agency's $2.2 billion rail expansion is both exciting and a relief because of the detours, setbacks and struggles to complete the last line and the effect it had on East End businesses and residents.

"We are enthusiastic and excited about the opening of the rail line," Metro chairwoman Carrin Patman said. "But it's taken too long and inconvenienced too many people."

Elected officials, neighborhood business and community leaders and others joined Metro on Monday for a kickoff ride along the last mile of the Green Line to the Magnolia Transit Center on Harrisburg, near the Gus Wortham Golf Course.

The final piece of the line, a $30 million overpass at Harrisburg, was competed late last year, ending detours and roughly seven years of construction on the $587 million project, the bulk of which opened in May 2015. The last mile remained closed until the overpass could be completed and Metro could conduct testing required before ferrying passengers along the route.

Service for all riders starts Wednesday, and is free until Jan. 22 along the Green Line.

For the neighborhood, it marks the end of 15 years of talking about the importance of a rail line, and seven years of construction along Harrisburg that detoured traffic and - some worry - permanently harmed small businesses. Metro approved a unique program to reimburse businesses affected by the construction, but even that wasn't enough to cover losses that some small shops and eateries endured, owners said.

Residents also suffered through what Roberto Longerio, 55, called "the worst-planned road work" he had ever seen.

"One minute they'd be directing traffic this way," he said, pointing one way down Harrisburg. "Then they'd come out, stop everything, and start directing it this way. No one knew where to go ... if they'd get home."

Frequent Stops

Officials have long conceded the line's construction was challenging, and detoured traffic far longer than intended. Work, sometimes slowed by rains that made the road and sidewalks a muddy mess, happened in fits and starts.

None of Houston's rail lines have been built smoothly, with hiccups related to planning and construction. The first segment, the Red Line through downtown Houston, opened less than five weeks before Super Bowl XXXVIII on Feb. 1, 2004, and officials worked at warp speed to get people accustomed to the train to lessen traffic to what was then Reliant Stadium.

Development of more rail had problems of its own, ranging from running afoul of federal transit requirements for American-made railcars to those same railcars coming in defective.

Some downtown drivers lament the line's effect on Main Street and its limiting of left turns since 2004, something that's also been voiced along the new lines.

Ridership, while strong on the original line, has lagged predictions on the new tracks, but has incrementally grown as overall transit ridership has declined.

Crossing the freight railroad tracks near Hughes was the biggest challenge for the Green Line, however. Officials in 2009 - two mayors and Metro chairpersons ago - proposed an overpass that didn't go over well with the East End community. During the early months of former Mayor Annise Parker's six-year term, her new Metro board agreed, with city help, to build an underpass that the community preferred.

In 2014, Metro officials reneged on the promise after analysis found contaminated soil on the site that was safe so long as it was not disturbed. That sent officials back to the drawing board, eventually leading to a shorter overpass with design input from the community that begrudgingly won city council support.

Construction of the overpass, however, also lagged behind Metro's original plans, compelling the agency to pay up to $600,000 to McCarthy Building Companies - the overpass builder - to accelerate construction. By the time of the additional payment, transit officials had declared the overpass "the project from hell" and the "job that will never end," showing a rare exasperation with the process.

Even longtime supporters of the line said the construction constrained the community. Julio del Carpio, who owns nearly a full block along Harrisburg at Caesar Chavez, said he deferred redeveloping his site until the train line was built.

"It's hard to say something is coming and come visit when people just see orange barrels," del Carpio said.

'Making Things Better'

Monday, much of that frustration on the part of officials and community residents was washed away by the completion and the hope the line could attract more development.

"At the end of the day it is there, it's done and it's making things better," said Metro board member Christof Spieler. "It is a big improvement in the transit."

Magnolia Transit Center is a major hub of bus service in eastern Houston, and train service speeds many downtown-bound travelers.

Light rail also means an easier time getting to the East End, which could boost interest in an oft-overlooked community that has struggled to share in Houston's boom times.

"There is no doubt this is going to bring new growth," said Jessica Hulsey with the Super Neighborhood 63 Council that represents community groups in the area.

Though the investment won't happen overnight - Houston's other rail lines have had intermittent success leading to nearby development, though officials can point to a handful of examples along every route - the East End is anxious, officials said.

"This is a 100-year project," said Steve Parker of Super Neighborhood 64, which represents the Eastwood area. "It is an invaluable project."

The long-term benefits expected will make the pain of construction quickly fade, said Metro CEO Tom Lambert.

"The final project adds great value back to the community," Lambert said, noting the vehicle overpass will help the community along with the rail line. "Five years from now, three years from now folks are going to forget what we went through. They are going to experience better travel options."

No End to Rail

The end of the line for the Green Line and the most recent rail expansion, however, will not bring an end to talk of rail in Houston. Though there is no funding identified, officials are already dusting off plans for commuter rail to Missouri City along U.S. 90A and looking at what possibilities appear practical to complete other train lines voters approved more than 13 years ago.

First, however, Patman said Metro and others need to develop a regional transportation plan to gauge needed projects and where there is political support for transit investments.

"We have to know where we are going for me to tell you how we'll get there," Patman said.

Once the plan is in place, officials could go back to the voters to seek funding, or explore alternatives such as public-private partnerships. Metro has already approved seeking proposals to determine what private partnerships are available.

Any step in the direction of rail, however, has always been politically charged in Houston. The 2003 referendum remains controversial, particularly in relation to a line planned along Richmond. That project remains bitterly opposed by some landowners and businesses, as well as Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston.

Still, Metro officials said they can't shelve consideration of rail when many Houstonians are clamoring for it, and they need all the options possible to handle what's expected to be increasing transit demand.

"We should never stop talking about high-capacity transit," Lambert said. "We need to talk about more options, not fewer."