▁structure ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 2 . ▁The ▁first ▁north bound ▁lan es ▁were ▁opened ▁to ▁traffic ▁in ▁mid - August , ▁three ▁weeks ▁ahead ▁of ▁schedule . ▁Le ad ▁contract or ▁K iew it ▁Western , ▁a ▁company ▁whose ▁" emp loy ees ▁have ▁been ▁known ▁to ▁work ▁ 1 3 - hour ▁days ▁and ▁ 1 0 0 - hour ▁weeks ", ▁acceler ated ▁their ▁work ▁schedule ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁project ▁to ▁compens ate ▁for ▁the ▁del ays ▁and ▁still ▁finish ▁the ▁vent ure ▁early . ▁The ▁remaining ▁lan es ▁opened ▁to ▁traffic ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 6 , ▁also ▁ahead ▁of ▁schedule . ▁Add itional ▁work ▁started ▁after ▁the ▁main ▁road way ▁opened ▁by ▁closing ▁various ▁ram ps ▁for ▁reconst ruction . ▁This ▁work ▁also ▁focused ▁on ▁rest oring ▁par king ▁lots ▁located ▁under ▁or ▁adjacent ▁to ▁the ▁fre ew ay ▁and ▁testing ▁the ▁de - icing ▁system ; ▁the ▁final ▁ram ps ▁were ▁opened ▁in ▁early ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁early ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁The ▁end ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁construction ▁produced ▁a ▁fre ew ay ▁design ▁that ▁increased ▁the ▁r ated ▁traffic ▁speed ▁from ▁. ▁▁ 2 1 st ▁century ▁changes ▁ ▁MD OT ▁approved ▁a ▁$ 3 . 5   b ill ion ▁ 1 0 - year ▁transport ation ▁plan ▁( equ ivalent ▁to ▁$ ▁in ▁) ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁that ▁included ▁an ▁extension ▁of ▁the ▁US   1 3 1 ▁fre ew ay ▁north