traffic issues on US 24 through Fort Wayne, plans for a bypass began. In large part due to heavy traffic on Coliseum Boulevard, which became known for its commercial properties and issues with bottlenecks, the idea gained support. The original plans for the bypass were to connect I-69 to US 24 east of Fort Wayne. By 1981, these plans were expanded to connect to I-69 on the city's north side. Samaan stated that he had to convince Governor Otis Bowen in 1978 to expedite construction of the bypass. An additional factor appeared as contracts for the project were being awarded, when General Motors announced construction of an automotive plant in 1984 on Lafayette Center Road, where the bypass was planned to interchange with I-69. According to Samaan, this helped to accelerate construction when the state decided it would be beneficial to the new employer in the area, stating "I never have seen anything move that fast in my whole life." Construction began in 1988, with the first section built between I-69 and Lafayette Center Road. In June 1989, the US 24 bypass received the I-469 designation. A temporary halt to construction occurred in 1991 when crews unearthed a lock that was once used in the Wabash and Erie Canal while constructing the interchange with US 24 east of New Haven. Upon the highway's completion in 1995, its construction was the most expensive in Allen County's history, with a cost of $207 million (equivalent to $ in ). In 1998, US 24 and US 30 were rerouted onto I-69 and I-469. In 2005, I-469 was given the name Ronald Reagan Expressway, in honor of the former US president. Future In early 2019, INDOT began construction on a project to reconfigure the interchange with US 24 in New Haven. With the completion of the Fort-to-Port project in 2012, US 24 is now a freeway from I-469 to the Ohio state line, except for the folded diamond interchange at I-469 that has traffic lights at the ramp terminals. The reconstructed I-469/US 24 interchange will be a partial cloverleaf configuration with a flyover ramp from US 24 westbound to I-469 southbound, thereby enabling free flow of traffic through the interchange when construction is completed in late 2020. Reconfiguration of the interchange was included in the 2002 final environmental impact statement and record of decision for the Fort-to-Port project, but its construction was deferred at