The price of widening Harvey Mitchell Parkway to three lanes from north of Raymond Stotzer to Wellborn Road has increased $18 million dollars.

Dan Rudge at the BCS metropolitan planning organization says most of the additional expense is to build sound walls in front the closest apartment complexes, at the request of those property owners.

Rudge says a construction contract is scheduled to be awarded in September.

Rudge says the $57 million dollar project, including the sound walls, is still supposed to take two years to complete.