Originally scheduled to be completed in 2015, delays resulted in required environmental permits and funds from the North Carolina General Assembly, pushing the opening into 2016. In June 2012, the North Carolina General Assembly continued to fail to provide funds to the Garden Parkway after advisement from NCDOT that they expected lawsuits that would further delay the project. On July 12, 2012, the NCDOT withdrew the Garden Parkway permit requests, officially stopping the project. The reason for the withdrawals was because of impending threat of legal battle with environmentalists; however, it is also believed it was withdrawn because it had a similar environmental study done like the Monroe Connector/Bypass, which was struck down by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond. As a result, it is possible NCDOT may do another environmental study, creating further delays in its construction or cancel the project entirely.