dirt for the relocation of US 34. The highway previously entered the city from the west along Albia Road, followed the curve of the river at Richmond Avenue, and turned onto Jefferson Avenue where it met US 63 a few blocks later, and crossed the river. The new path of US 34 took a more northerly route than Albia Road into the city and then followed the new southern bank of the river. US 63 was relocated at the same time; it was rerouted to the eastern side of the John Deere plant along the bank of the river and met up with the new US 34 road. A new bridge over the Des Moines River, near the John Deere plant, along with an eastern bypass of the downtown area opened to traffic in 1966. Four-lane upgrades As early as 1958, an 11-member road study committee recommended the construction of a state freeway system not to exceed in length. This freeway system included sections of US 34 between Ottumwa and Burlington. Ten years later, the Iowa State Highway Commission approved a freeway-expressway system that would complement the Interstate Highway System under construction. Most of US 34 fell under the plan; from I-29 to Ottumwa, the road would be built to expressway standards and from Ottumwa to Burlington, it would be built up to freeway standards. Access to and from the freeway portion would come from grade-separated interchanges while expressway portion would have both interchanges and at-grade intersections. In the early 1980s, following the recommendations of a 27-member task force organized by Governor Robert D. Ray, the Iowa Department of Transportation shifted its priorities from expansion of the primary highway system to maintenance of existing highways. US 534 freeway First announced in late 1965 and approved the next year, the Burlington freeway project was slated to be completed in 1972 at a cost of $13.3 million (equivalent to $ in ). The ISHC named the freeway project "US 534" in order to differentiate it from the existing US 34. The new highway was going to run from the MacArthur Bridge west to meet up with US 34 west of West Burlington. The highway's path was planned to run through the North Hill neighborhood, whose residents were against the freeway forcing their relocations. Ultimately, land through North Hill was acquired, but at a cost of $2.6 million (equivalent to $ in ).