The authority says the added capacity is intended to make trips safer and travel times more reliable as use of the expressway grows. The new lane is planned within the highway’s existing median, and officials expect construction-related traffic disruptions to be limited.

Some drivers may see a change sooner at the Sicklerville Road exit, where backups can extend onto Route 42 and the expressway. The authority plans to add a right-turn lane there, potentially by next summer. Officials say it would let right-turning drivers proceed without waiting at a traffic signal and help clear traffic from the highway.

The authority’s executive director, Stephen Dougherty, said more predictable trips could benefit both shore visitors and businesses. He said time saved on the road could give visitors more time to spend at restaurants, beaches and attractions.

But adding lanes does not guarantee lasting congestion relief, said Robert Noland, director of Rutgers University’s Voorhees Transportation Center. Noland studies “induced demand,” in which faster or easier driving encourages more people to travel by car. The additional capacity could ease traffic at first, he said, but more drivers may eventually fill the road.

The project’s full benefits remain years away: the authority’s current timeline puts completion in 2034. In the meantime, the planned Sicklerville Road turn lane is intended to address one of the expressway’s existing bottlenecks.