OAKLAND — Considered a problem intersection by many, Glendale Road and U.S. Route 219 will see improvements soon.

U.S. Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin announced Wednesday that the Appalachian Regional Commission has awarded Garrett County an $873,063 grant to make intersection improvements and realign a section of the road.

“We’re going to get the turns squared away and get a safer intersection at Glendale,” said Denny Glotfelty, county commission chairman. “There are still some bad places on Glendale, but we can only do one place at a time. ... This should improve it a lot.”

Glotfelty said work had already been done on the area to prepare for the changes at the intersection, as well as the one with Zeddock Miller Road. Utilities were moved in that area, as plans include widening the intersection and some realignment.

There will also be local funding for the project, with an additional $326,932, which brings the total funding to $1.2 million. The Maryland State Highway Administration will administer the project with the Federal Highway Administration serving as the basic federal agency for the project.

“Federal investments like this ARC grant are vital because they provide important funding to stimulate economic development and create jobs in our communities,” Cardin said in a release. “The Glendale Road/Route 219 intersection is a heavily traveled corridor in the Deep Creek area. The additional funds announced today will help to complete this essential project and allow for much-needed safety upgrades and improvements for commercial access.”

The project was originally awarded ARC funds in November to make improvements to the road, but after a review of the project application, the State Highway Administration recommended additional studies and improvement measures.

“Easing congestion in Garrett County’s tourism and economic centers will create jobs in Western Maryland,” Mikulski said in a release. “As the Deep Creek Lake area continues to grow and attract new businesses, I will keep fighting for a transportation system that gets Marylanders to their jobs, delivers goods to the marketplace and reduces traffic on our roads and highways.”

Glotfelty said the plans aren’t expected to infringe on nearby property owners, as most of the property in the plan for the realignment and widening of the road is owned by the state and the effects to other properties should be minimal.

Contact Sarah Moses at smoses@times-news.com.