The town of Bethlehem is planning to build a new roundabout in Glenmont at the intersection of Route 9W and Feura Bush and Glenmont roads thanks to $3.9 million in state funding.

The project is expected to significantly ease traffic congestion in the area.

Bethlehem town supervisor John Clarkson said the funding, which comes from the Federal Highway Administration, will cover 80 percent of the cost, but the town will be holding public hearings to come up with a final design.

"Concern about that intersection goes back a long way," Clarkson said. "We did a 'linkage study'of 9W in 2010 which highlighted the problem and recommended a roundabout, and ever since that time we have been looking for a solution... This intersection has been the No. 1 traffic problem in Bethlehem for a number of years. We also have been building sidewalks in the area and planning for more, and this grant will fund some of those."

State funding for the project was announced April 17 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and includes $2.9 million for the roundabout and sidewalk connections as well as another $1 million for new sidewalks in the area that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. One new sidewalk will connect Glenmont Elementary to the Town Squire Plaza where Price Chopper is located.

"This funding is critical to enhancing our infrastructure and paving the way for both pedestrian and bicycle travel," Cuomo said in a statement. "By improving roadway safety and increasing access to healthy transportation alternatives, we are providing both residents and visitors a chance to experience the state's natural beauty like never before, while supporting a cleaner, greener New York for generations to come.

One rendering of the new roundabout shows a lot of new vegetation and medians leading into the roundabout, which will also have bike lanes.

The current intersection is typically backed up and difficult for pedestrians to navigate.