When the first piece of the parkway opened in 1984, unused provisions, pending more study, were added for a direct link to Ayd Mill Road, a sunken four-lane road with minimal intersections that leads northwest from I-35E. The ramps were built and temporarily opened in 1992 for high-occupancy vehicles, due to the closure of the nearby Lafayette Bridge (US 52) for reconstruction. The ramps were reopened on June 12, 2002, as a test, and remain open . A controversial extension of Ayd Mill Road to I-94 remains on the table.
