 First announced in late 1965 and approved the next year, the Burlington freeway project, often called "US 534" in order to differentiate it from the existing US 34, was slated to be completed in 1974 at a cost of $7.6 million (equivalent to $ in dollars).The new highway was going to run from the MacArthur Bridge west to meet up with US 34 west of West Burlington.The routing of the freeway was not without opposition.