1899 but remained in poor condition for several years, prompting calls to prioritize its improvement for tourists. It was repaired in the 1910s, following the establishment of Fort Shafter, and plans were announced to straighten sections of the road in 1921. The territorial government began preliminary construction of a four-lane divided highway to replace Moanalua Road in 1948, following the opening of the new Tripler Army Hospital. The project, which would reduce the number of curves on the road from 24 to 6, was also meant to connect with the Mauka Arterial (now part of H-1) and relieve congestion on the Kamehameha Highway near Pearl Harbor. The westernmost of the divided highway was dedicated and opened to traffic on April 28, 1954. The road was designated as part of Route 72 in 1955. The remaining section of the original Moanalua Road, bisecting Fort Shafter, was upgraded to a divided highway in the second phase and end at an interchange with the Lunalilo Freeway (also part of H-1). With funding from the territorial highway department and approval of the US Army, several facilities at Fort Shafter were relocated to new buildings in 1958 and the former Tripler Army Hospital was demolished in May 1959 to make way for the project. Construction began in June 1959 under a $1.46-million (equivalent to $ in ) contract awarded to Hawaiian Dredging and Construction. The widened Fort Shafter section of the Moanalua Highway was opened in September 1960, featuring an interchange at E Street and several overpasses. Plans to upgrade the western terminus at Aiea to an interchange with the Kamehameha Highway were approved in the late 1950s. Construction began in 1960, and the Aiea interchange opened in stages between June 1965 and November 1965, at a cost of $2 million (equivalent to $ in ). A western extension of the Moanalua Highway from the Aiea interchange with flyover ramps to connect to the Kamehameha Highway was approved for construction in 1964 and was opened to traffic in June 1966. The interchange with the Lunalilo Freeway at the eastern end of the highway was completed in May 1964. The conversion of the highway to a full freeway began in September 1971 with work near Red Hill and was completed in August 1974. It was estimated to cost $37 million (equivalent to $ in ) total to construct. An eastbound lane between Halawa and Puuloa Road