Old West Durham, formerly known as Hayti, is a typical example of the negative effects of urban renewal on African-American neighborhoods. In 1957, the North Carolina General Assembly approved a bill to build the Durham Freeway, a large highway that ran directly through the neighborhood. Not only did the plan cost millions of dollars and take over 14 years, but it displaced more than 4,000 and irreparably destroyed the commercial viability and social cohesiveness of an entire community. Today, the Hayti area remains one of the most economically neglected and exploited areas in all of Durham.