Suffolk County officials said last week that they are hopeful work will begin this fall on a project to add a lane to a stretch of County Road 39 in Southampton, although they noted that the start date is still dependant upon approval from the New York State Department of Transportation and the receipt of state funding.

At a roadside press conference on Friday, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy hailed the expansion as a way to shave time from motorists’ commutes. As traffic zipped behind him, Mr. Levy praised what he referred to as a “County Road 39 miracle”—past efforts to add lanes to the busy east-west artery—and stressed that the county is ready to go with the new project. Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman, who was also in attendance, along with members of the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, said afterward he was looking forward to the widening project getting underway.

The project will add a second eastbound lane to the 1.5-mile span between North Sea Road to Montauk Highway in Water Mill. County officials said they hope the work will start shortly after Labor Day this year, and finish in time for Memorial Day 2012.

Meanwhile, the scope of the project has changed, due to an additional $1 million in federal funding that became available, officials said, bringing the cost of the project from $3.5 million estimated last year to between $4.5 million and $4.7 million now. The additional $1 million or so will be used toward drainage improvements, officials said.

The plans also call for a continuous sidewalk along the south side of the highway; new pedestrian safety features, such as pedestrian signals, push buttons and crosswalks at intersections; additional warning signs and lights and a pedestrian walkway and gates at the Long Island Rail Road crossing; and re-striping. It also calls for intersection improvements at David Whites Lane, including a new southbound left-turn lane, and continuous 6-foot shoulders on both sides. Approximately 80 percent of the funding will come from federal funds and 20 percent from the county.

The project is considered a continuation of widening completed in 2008 that included a second eastbound lane and continuous center turn lane on a 4.5-mile stretch from Sunrise Highway to North Sea Road.