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 finally about to enter the design phase.

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

For it to get off the ground, the township must select an engineering firm to create design plans, which could cost up to $1 million.

However, Cranberry 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 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.

Construction could begin as early as spring of 2017.