In a big boost for freeway widening, the state Transportation Commission has awarded nearly $70 million to the South Coast for Highway 101 this month, surprising local officials who weren’t expecting such largesse.

Drawing from an influx of $2 billion in statewide Proposition 1B funds for highway safety and traffic reduction, the commission also set aside $18 million for railway projects in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

In its largest single allocation here, the commission allocated $20 million toward the widening of 101 to six lanes from Mussel Shoals in Ventura County to Carpinteria Creek. That’s on top of $130 milllion that the commission granted for the project in April.

“We got everything we asked for plus a little bit more,” said Jim Kemp, executive director of the county Association of Governments, a regional transportation agency. “That hasn’t been our history up to this point, so we’re feeling pretty good.”

The commission approved $29 million toward the replacement of the highway bridges at Linden Avenue and Casitas Pass Road and $8 million for an auxiliary lane and other improvements at the 101 Milpas Street and Hot Springs interchange. Another $1 million will be spent to reconstruct the northbound 101 ramp at Carrillo Street and install a traffic meter.

But perhaps most significantly, Kemp said, the commission set aside $9 million for an engineering study on widening 101 along the 10-mile, four-lane stretch between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara. Up to now, no state money had been available for that section.

“It represents a new commitment by the state to partner with us to try to complete that widening project,” Kemp said. “Now, basically, the entire South Coast 101 is under development.”

The entire six-lane project north of Carpinteria is expected to cost well over $400 million. It will require local funding as part of the renewal of Measure D, a half-percent sales tax for transportation that expires in 2010, Kemp said.

“If we don’t get substantial funding out of Measure D, I’m not optimistic that we’re going to complete the widening project in a timely manner,” he said.

Also this month, the commission awarded $1.6 million to complete the design and acquire right-of-way for the six-lane project on the 101 bridge over the Santa Maria River. Last year, the commission had been poised to grant $60 million for the project last year, then changed its mind.

Finally, in a nod to the advocates of commuter rail, the commission this month granted $11 million for the design and construction of a new section of double track, or siding, along the Pacific Surfliner route in the North County; and $7 million for the design of a new siding between Moorpark and Santa Barbara.

Much of the railroad track north of Gaviota is antiquated and needs replacement. In some sections, the engineer must get out and flip the switch by hand to transfer the train to another set of tracks.

New sidings, Kemp said, would help shorten the delays for passengers and freight when two trains meet on a single track.