Construction began on the missing portion of SR 56 on October 21, 1999, amid allegations of a missing Army Corps of Engineers permit, at an estimated cost of $111 million (about $ in dollars). The California Coastal Commission approved the extension on May 10, 2000, after residents lost two lawsuits relating to the proximity of the freeway. Caltrans was required to install a drainage system because of the wetlands; this requirement was similar to a court ruling for a project in the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. At this time, the completion was estimated to occur in 2004, at a cost of $151 million (about $ in dollars). In October 2000, Carmel Valley Road was extended to Black Mountain Road, providing a paved alternative until SR 56 was completed; commuters had to travel on a unpaved road, one of the only roads between I-5 and I-15 in North County.