Construction of the Inner Loop began in the early 1950s—when the city's population was well over 300,000 (33% higher than it was in 2000) —and completed in 1965. Over the past decade, traffic volume has remained constant on the roadway in some areas; however, overall usage from its completion to today has declined as jobs and residents continue to migrate away from the inner city. On December 2, 2014, the eastern section of the Inner Loop was closed as part of a project to downgrade it to a street at the cost of $21 million.