CRANBERRY TWP — Adding a new eastbound lane on Route 228 in the township is a project that’s been on the radar of community officials for years, and now the project is about to enter the design phase.

The additional lane, which would stretch from Route 228’s intersection with Interstate 79 to Franklin Road, is estimated to cost about $5 million. The project isn’t expected to break ground until at least 2017.

The township must select an engineering firm to create design plans for the project, which could cost up to $1 million.

However, Cranberry Township could be reimbursed for that by the state Department of Transportation, the agency that is expected to foot the cost of construction for the additional lane.

Jason Kratsas, the director of engineering for the township, said the new lane has been on Cranberry’s to do list for three years.

He said once an engineering firm is picked, it would take about three months for a preliminary report to be issued, while a final design would be finished it about a year.

“If all goes according to plan, we’d be looking to get the project out to bid by the end of 2016,” he said.

For Kratsas, the additional lane is a necessity. Not just because of the growth in Cranberry, but also because of the growth of its neighbors.

“We really anticipate Route 228 in the near future to start widening to our east, and we want to try to get our cross section done before that happens,” he said.

Kratsas added that Cranberry hasn’t yet gotten the $5 million from PennDOT for the new lane, although starting the design-phase will help in that process.

“We haven’t acquired those funds yet but we’re hoping finishing the designs and have it ready to go will help,” he said.

Township Manager Jerry Andree said about 80 percent of the project will be funded by PennDOT, while the remaining 20 percent will come from transportation impact fees in the township.

Adding another lane to Route 228 isn’t a new idea, Andree said.

“It’s all a part of our long-range master plan for Route 228,” he said. “It’s the continuation of planning that was put in place well over 10 years ago.”

Construction could begin as early as spring of 2017.