Gov. Linda Lingle has released $800,000 in construction funds for improvements that will facilitate the flow of traffic at the Keahole Street intersection on Kalanianaole Highway, the state said today in a news release.

Currently, traffic turning right from Keahole Street onto Kalanianaole Highway must stop and merge with the west-bound traffic on the highway, which causes traffic to back up on Keahole Street.

This project will construct an additional lane on Kalanianaole Highway in the west-bound direction from Keahole Street to Hawaii Kai Drive, providing an exclusive right-turn lane for Keahole Street traffic onto Kalanianaole Highway and easing traffic at this intersection.

The total cost of the project is estimated to be $4,070,536, which includes more than $2.3 million in federal funds and $941,253 from utilities for the relocation of utility cables and service boxes caused by the highway widening.

Bid opening is scheduled for next month, with construction scheduled to begin in September 2009 and be completed in July 2010.