The I-44 bridge project at Memorial Drive was completed in 1996 following less than two years of construction. The original bridges were replaced by a wider bridge that has six lanes and full shoulders with a concrete barrier wall in the center. The eastbound bridge was replaced first, followed by the westbound bridge. Like its predecessor, the new bridge is three spans, with the west span comprising half of the bridge. The project included widening I-44 to six lanes between Memorial Drive and 31st Street, replacing the I-44 bridges over Memorial Drive, rebuilding the westbound frontage road east of Memorial Drive, building a cul-de-sac on the westbound frontage road on the west side of Memorial Drive and eliminating the street that paralleled Memorial Drive on the west for a short distance north of I-44, and six laning Memorial Drive from 31st Street to just north of I-44. A U-turn was installed for westbound frontage road traffic to access the eastbound frontage road without accessing Memorial Drive, and a new traffic signal was installed at I-44 and Memorial Drive. Photograph taken May 29, 1999.
