The long, winding road towards the completion of the Canada Line officially ends Monday when TransLink finally opens the rapid transit line to the public.

The door to the trains - which connect Richmond with the Vancouver International Airport and downtown Vancouver - will open at 1 p.m. Aug. 17 and will be free to ride for the first day.

After that, commuters will have an opportunity to acclimatize themselves to the line - which promises to transport people from Richmond to Waterfront Station in 25 minutes - before extensive bus service changes take effect Sept. 7.

The Canada Line, formerly known as the RAV Line, has been under-construction since 2005 but the line's history dates back to the early '90s, when B.C. Transit explored transit options in the region.

After several false starts, the mega-project was finally green-lit Dec. 1, 2004.

Matt Kieltyka reports for Vancouver 24 hours