NIAGARA FALLS—A contractor who has been outspoken about radioactive material beneath Lewiston Road will be given more time to finish his reconstruction of the road.

The City Council on Monday voted to approve an extension of the existing $7.71 million contract for West Seneca contractor Man O’Trees.

The extension would last until March 18, 2012, with an expectation that paving would stop in the winter and a spring schedule would then be created. The previous contract expired Friday.

The project, aimed at rebuilding Route 104 between Bath Avenue and Findlay Drive, has been overbudget and plagued by delays, including the need for the contractor to obtain a state license for handling radioactive materials and unforeseen utility work.

Dave Pfeiffer, owner of Man O’Trees, has said radioactive materials his workers have found below the road and along Findlay Drive have been more than 10 times acceptable levels. State Department of Environmental Conservation officials maintain the radioactive waste is only slightly elevated and does not pose a health threat.