Plans to widen I-495 between I-278 and I-678 were announced by New York City mayor John Lindsay in 1968. The expressway would be expanded from three to five lanes in each direction between these two interchanges. In the 1970s, the federal government gave $270 million for the project. However, by 1978, the New York state government had retracted the interstate designation for that segment. The funds were split three ways for mass transit, highways, and improvements to the Long Island Expressway. The LIE was allocated $80 million to improve medians and widen shoulders. By the 1980s, the stretch of the LIE between I-278 and the Grand Central Parkway was frequently carrying 110% of its traffic capacity. In 1981, officials proposed several improvements for that highway segment, including adding a two-lane grade-separated service road between the two highways; realigning service roads at 69th and 108th Streets; and improving entrance and exit ramps.