KANE'OHE — Work on the Kahekili landscape project can finally proceed after more than three years of waiting for extra cash to complete the job.

Gov. Linda Lingle recently approved about $1.12 million in additional money to finish the project that was conceived in 2001, contracted in 2003 and initiated work in May 2005.

Work on the project — now to cost $3.62 million — stalled when the state Department of Transportation realized that some design issues weren't included and the traffic plan during construction wasn't going to work, said Scott Ishikawa, DOT spokesman.

The traffic plan called for lane closure 24/7, Ishikawa said. The new plan, which will cost more to implement, will cost less in stress, he said.

"Realistically it would have been a traffic mess because it would have backed up traffic for miles in each direction," Ishikawa said.

Work could begin early next year.

Some residents who have been pushing for the landscaping thought the project was dead.

"I'd given up hope that anything was going to be done," said Rom Duran, a Kane'ohe resident since 1959. "That's wonderful news to hear that project is still alive."

The project site is on a segment of the highway that has three lanes in both directions, between Likelike Highway and Ha'iku Road. Under the previous plan, one lane in each direction would be closed. Now lane closure will be only during construction hours, Ishikawa said.

The project includes landscape planters nestled within the existing median barriers at two locations, vine planters along the sidewalk and retexturing and painting the existing wall. The extra money also covers drainage issues and adjustments for the disabled, Ishikawa said.

Residents had been after the state to landscape the highway even before its construction began in 1995. Concrete noise buffer walls standing 8 to 14 feet high line the highway and created a harsh, sterile environment, critics have said.

Several beautification projects were attempted over the years to soften the concrete's impact, but they met with minimal success. Vines, ferns and trees survive today, but hundreds more didn't make it.

Residents were optimistic in 2001 when the state invited a committee of local residents to plan the new project, but the results were far less than the community had wanted. Besides a beautiful street, people wanted to slow traffic by reducing the width of each lane by 1 foot.

After the project dragged on, people started wondering if they would get anything, Duran said.

"It got to the point where we said do what you have, it's better than nothing," he said.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.