Construction of the bypass continued through late 1951 to the middle of 1952. By August 1952, construction on the bypass was winding down. By this point, had been completed with the final under construction. The bypass was completed and opened to traffic on September 17, 1952. The overall construction of the bypass from 1950 to 1952 was done at record speed at the time, being the fastest major highway construction project within the state's history. US 66 was rerouted onto the new bypass, removing Oatman from US 66. The new route ran along level ground close to the railroad, from Topock to Kingman through Yucca. The bypassing of Oatman lead to the town's decline and near abandonment, while Yucca enjoyed a small period of increased success from US 66 traffic. Oatman Highway remained an undesignated state highway until September 2, 1955, when it was completely transferred to Mohave County.