County Route 64 in Chemung County sees more than 20,000 cars on a daily basis. But only being two lanes wide certainly creates some traffic congestion. As our Bill Mich tells us, a project aimed at widening the road is getting closer to construction.

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CHEMUNG COUNTY, N.Y. -- Monday night, the Chemung County Legislature green lighted Fisher Associates to begin the design phase on the County Route 64 widening project. A project desperately needed.

"There's accident rates that we have to look at, crash rates. We have to look at getting people to their destinations. Not only is it a retail corridor, it is a commercial corridor, there is some industry there," said county Public Works Commissioner Andy Avery.

Fisher Associates will lay out the project that is expected to make County Route 64 into a uniform four lane road. The goal is to cut down on congestion, confusion and delays while traveling on it. The design should be finished by January and work could begin soon after.

"Hopefully 2013 and 2014, we can get both phases done and have a great facility," Avery said.

The project stretches out over those two building seasons to avoid closing the road for construction during busy times, like during the holidays. But it could have been longer if the county chose to use federal funding for the $2.8 million project. Federal money would stretch the process out up to five years, so the county took action into its own hands and wallet.

"We're looking at this as a time issue. We realize there is a problem there, we don't have five years to wait. So we want to get moving and do what is right for the community," said Avery.

And if all goes according to plan, the community will have what it is in desperate need of by 2014.