KAHULUI, Maui — Gov. Linda Lingle and other officials yesterday celebrated completion of an $87 million project to widen Mokulele Highway, the main link between Kahului and South Maui.

The 6.5-mile highway was widened from two lanes to a four-lane divided highway from Pu'unene Avenue in Kahului to Pi'ilani Highway in Kihei. The project is expected to reduce travel times and congestion in the busy traffic corridor, said state Department of Transportation director Brennon Morioka.

The improvements include a separate paved bicycle and pedestrian path with rest areas, surrounded by native Hawaiian trees, shrubs and grasses.

Construction began in 2002 with the first of five construction phases. Goodfellow Bros Inc. completed the first, third and fifth phases, and Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. Inc. and Diversified Machinery Inc. handled the second and fourth phases, respectively.

Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the newly constructed Kihei-bound lanes on Mokulele Highway were opened to traffic from the Maui Humane Society, south of the Mehameha Loop intersection, to Pi'ilani Highway.

Motorists will continue to have access to only one Kahului-bound lane until restriping is completed in one to two weeks, the DOT said.

Two new traffic signals are now operational at the Mokulele Highway and Pi'ilani Highway intersection and at the North Kihei Road/South Kihei Road intersection.