Tulare Street underpass connecting Downtown Fresno and Chinatown opens

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Cheers of joy and accomplishment on Thursday morning celebrated the completion of the Tulare Street Underpass and Grade Separation Project that started in 2017.

The project moves the two-lane roadway more than 20 feet below the Union Pacific and future high-speed rail tracks.

The road is just 1,000 feet long, but the journey to get here took four times longer than the high-speed rail authority expected.

"We've had our fair share of challenges in this project, from designing to construction," California High-Speed Rail Authority regional director Garth Fernandez said. "All of the experiences that we had provided us with ample lessons."

But those lessons were also a challenge for businesses in Chinatown.

Paul Pearson, owner of Chef Paul's Cafe, says with near-constant construction and roadblocks, he struggled to keep his doors open.

"They had every intersection closed off. I've had clients calling me on the phone saying, 'How do I get to your restaurant to pick up my order. How do I get there?'" Pearson said.

But he's hopeful that the Chinatown businesses will now feel closer to Downtown workers.

Local leaders think that it could create a boom for the area economy.

"This connection will restore traffic flow. It will improve safety, and it will support the continued revitalization of both downtown and Chinatown," Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said.

The high-speed rail project has been plagued by significant delays and massive budget overruns, but Dyer encourages the people to see the potential of bringing people from across the state into the Valley.

RELATED: California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs bill requiring funding plan for state's high-speed rail project

Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez also wants people to see all the jobs created and the money being invested in our community.

"$13 billion invested here in California alone. 15,000 jobs, 70 percent of them here in the Central Valley and 5,000 here in Fresno County," Chavez said.

Over 65 businesses are standing strong in Chinatown and are ready to welcome more foot traffic after Thursday.

Several other projects are also underway in Fresno, and the High-Speed Rail Authority deputy says the goal is to complete most of them by the end of 2026.

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