The city of San Diego constructed SR 56 from Black Mountain Road to Carmel Mountain Road, and Caltrans built the remaining portion of the route to Carmel Creek Road. The bridges were still under construction in November 2000 on the city portion. San Diego mayor Dick Murphy commissioned the San Diego Freeway Congestion Strike Team to attempt to accelerate stalled freeway projects such as SR 56 in 2001. In May 2001, the City Council allocated another $5.1 million (about $ in dollars) to purchase land to build the freeway. Critics stated that the construction of SR 56 was a short-term solution, and that traffic would return by 2020. FCI Constructors Inc. and W.R. Connelly Inc. won the contract for the Caltrans portion of the new freeway at a bid of $50.2 million (about $ in dollars), with completion scheduled for 2004. The freeway was built with two lanes in each direction, additional land being available to expand to three lanes if necessary. The project continued on schedule through the 2003 California budget crisis, receiving $4.3 million from the state in 2003. In 2004, there were citizen complaints about the lack of a sound wall to reduce the freeway noise in private residences. It took until July 19, 2004, to join the west and east ends of the freeway; a public festival was held on the freeway on July 17. The cost of completing the middle segment was reported at $220 million in 2004 (about $ in dollars). Citizens complained in 2008 that the bike path along SR 56 was difficult to access from the northern side of the interchange with El Camino Real; however, funding issues prevented the construction of a paved path at the time. The construction of a "dual freeway" at the western end was scheduled to begin in early 2002, referring to the two carriageways needed for each direction of the freeway. It would require drivers to use the new local lanes to access eastbound SR 56 from I-5 or I-805. The project would allow for trucks to use the new lanes to assist in merging with traffic. The northbound lanes were scheduled to open in February 2006. The southbound I-15 to westbound SR 56 ramp was improved in a construction project in 2005. Concerns about the lack of a ramp from westbound SR 56 to northbound I-5 date back from 1988, because of a projected increase of traffic on local Carmel Valley streets.