In 1966, the Tri-State Transportation Commission along with the Regional Plan Association proposed an extension further northward to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee. The two agencies saw the proposed freeway as an integral part of starting Hudson River development of the communities in its path. The agencies also noted it was also be an important part of preserving the New Jersey Palisades, a mountain range in northern New Jersey. However, constructing this freeway was halted when problems relating to engineering such a highway, the economic cost, and environmental concerns arose. The political community also had an issue in constructing the highway, as creating a six-lane freeway through the established communities would be daunting. $3 billion (1966 USD) was allocated for the construction of the Route 85 Freeway from the Holland Tunnel to the George Washington Bridge. Local residents demanded an agency be included in the plan to preserve the Palisades and that it be done quick. The proposed price to construct the Route 85 Freeway in 1969 had ballooned from the original $18 million to $110 million (1969 USD).