The long-awaited improvements to the intersection of Baptist and Broughton roads in Bethel Park are now one step closer to reality.

U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, recently presented municipal leaders a $500,000 check toward the estimated $4 million cost of the project.

"Broughton Road is a major route across the South Hills from east to west," Mr. Murphy said. "Unfortunately, its current intersection with Baptist Road is extremely congested and must be reconstructed to ease traffic and improve safety conditions."

Bethel Park officials said the project will include widening lanes, constructing turning lanes and upgrading traffic signals at the intersection. The right-turn lane on Baptist Road will be lengthened, and Broughton Road will be modified to improve sight.

"The municipality has been working since 1991 to improve the operation of the Baptist and Broughton intersection," said council President Tim Moury. "It has been long recognized that this intersection has been a bottleneck in traffic movement for two major roads in Bethel Park."

The money was included in the 2008 Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act that was signed into law in December as part of the omnibus budget bill, Mr. Murphy said. With the $500,000 in hand, officials said they now have money to go forward with the project. It is tentatively slated to begin in 2010.