"The $3.1 million award to the Town of Riverhead was the largest of three awards made for Long Island projects and I believe this indicates the merit of the project," said Supervisor Phil Cardinale.
Only 59 such awards were made statewide.
The project plans also call for widening and resurfacing the roads expected to host the path, Mr. Cardinale added.
"Those are things we would have had to do anyway," he said.
Bikers welcomed the news.
"The East End is a great recreational area," said Nick Attisano, the owner of Twin Forks Bicycles in Riverhead. "The more bike lanes we have, the more people we are going to see out here riding, and those people will then frequent other businesses in town."
He said the bike lane also will make it safer for bikers. Last year, when gas hit $4 per gallon, Mr. Attisano said, more people started riding bikes.
Funding will come through the state's Transportation Enhancement Program, which reimburses expenses for projects like bike paths that are not eligible for conventional funding normally earmarked for work like highway construction and bridge repair, state officials said.
"The purpose of the program is to encourage alternative forms of transportation," said town community development director Christine Kempner, who coordinated the application for the funds. "We were trying to connect some of the existing bike paths with activity centers that are not already on a bike path."
A path that would run from the Enterprise Park at Calverton, or EPCAL, to the Tanger outlets is among the proposed routes because Sound Avenue, currently a popular bike route, is difficult to bike on, Ms. Kempner said.
"We've looked into putting a bike path there but it's so windy and dangerous," she said.
The plans also call for a nine-mile loop around EPCAL on what was previously a security path. That path would connect River Road and run down to West Main Street, before heading up through Mill Road and Pulaski Street and tapping into the existing state bike route along Elton Street, Ms. Kempner said.
Herricks Lane, Manor Lane and Peconic Bay Boulevard in Jamesport would also be striped for bike paths under the plan.
Once awarded, projects are expected to begin promptly in compliance with federal and state regulations.
Councilwoman Barbara Blass noted that the town has wanted such a path for some six years.
"The award supports the 2003 Town of Riverhead Comprehensive Plan vision goals to encourage walking, biking and transit use in downtown and the hamlet centers and a more walkable and bike-able Riverhead in general," she said.
tgannon@timesreview.com