RIO HONDO – Businesses in Rio Hondo are ready for bridge construction to be over. Meanwhile, the city says the completion date was pushed back, once again.

The Texas Department of Transportation closed the Rio Hondo Lift Bridge for restoration about a year and a half ago.

Business owner Selene Castro says her business, located along Colorado Avenue, used to have a steady stream of commuters and tourists coming through this way.

The co-owner of Noelia's, a local restaurant, says since the bridge closed for renovations, that traffic has died down and they’ve had to make adjustments.

"We stopped some of our specials. We changed out hours, too," she says.

Castro tells CHANNEL 5 NEWS used to get about 50 customers before the bridge closed. She says on Monday, only around 20 showed up.

"People used to come from Harlingen, San Benito and McAllen," she says about the fishing tourists. "The moment the bridge closed they had to go around."

Rio Hondo City Manager Benjamin Medina Jr. said right now TxDOT is wrapping up its paint job.

The designated spokesperson for TxDOT's Pharr District could not be reached for comment.

According to CHANNEL 5 NEWS archives, the bridge first closed for repairs in mid-2016.   Back then, TxDOT said the project would be completed in the summer of 2017.

That completion date later changed to February 2018, and then the end date changed to April.

Now, the agency is shooting for a new completion date in the month of May, said Medina.

Meanwhile, the city of Rio Hondo plans to celebrate BridgeFest. The first annual festival is set for April 28th.

During that festival, the bridge will still be getting its final touches.