Construction of the $80 million North-South Road, a major piece in the long-term development of East Kapolei, is expected to start in mid-2007 and be completed within 24 months.

Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday released $8.1 million, the state's portion of the project, which is 80 percent funded by the federal government. North-South Road will extend mauka from Kapolei Parkway to the H-1 Freeway and includes a complete interchange.

The road provides another much-needed access to H-1 eastbound, particularly for 'Ewa and 'Ewa Beach motorists currently using Roosevelt Avenue to access Fort Barrette Road in Kapolei to get on the freeway. Many motorists take the Fort Barrette Road route as an alternative to the very busy Fort Weaver Road out of 'Ewa.

But it will also serve as the main road for Department of Hawaiian Home Lands residential and commercial developments, the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu campus and the Salvation Army's Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center.

DHHL spokesman Lloyd Yonenaka said the North-South Road "means everything to the whole region." The road will be a benefit for residents of a planned DHHL development, the East Kapolei I subdivision, in which 350 leases will be awarded, said Yonenaka.

City Councilman Todd Apo called the North-South Road "a huge piece for the planned development" of Kapolei. The number of planned roadway projects in the region, he added, is an indication that "government is catching up with putting in the infastructure to keep up with growth."

State transportation director Rod Haraga said the design contract for the North-South Road project will be advertised at the end of this year. Haraga noted the road will be designed for six lanes — three in each direction — but that the state plans to build only three lanes and stripe them for use as four lanes. The road will be widened later when more funding is available, Haraga added.

North-South Road is among several planned state, city and private projects announced recently that are being fast-tracked to provide relief to traffic problems in the fast-growing "second city" area.

Several projects, such as North-South Road, will be constructed simultaneously on undeveloped land and should not disrupt traffic, according to officials.

The current individual pieces which will come together to form the big picture between 2008 and 2010 include: