U.S. Route 5 (currently, also known as Riverdale Road) was modified to bypass the downtowns of Springfield and West Springfield as new segments were constructed on the West Springfield and Agawam waterfronts in 1938, 1941–42, and 1952–53. This resulted in some land takings and cutting off certain neighborhoods from the river, but north–south travel was speeded, and the dike system was reinforced to prevent the flooding of these neighborhoods. The approaches to the North End and Memorial Bridges were modified to accommodate the new traffic patterns.