The city council has finalized its plans to spend money on upgrading two major routes: Prospect Road and Saratoga Avenue. The improvements will occur in early 2016.

Prompted by community requests, the project includes improvements for  pedestrian and vehicular safety. Three public meetings will be held in 2015 to receive public commentary and refine improvements.

According to Saratoga council member Manny Cappello, the city plans to develop 16 new medians and landscaping along the 1.9 mile stretch of Prospect Road, install new sidewalks, construct American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps at certain intersections, repair existing ADA ramps, insert bicycle detector loops at signalized intersections, install  “green” bike lanes at heavily congested intersections and build bus shelters to prevent the damage of the road.

Capello said the city plans to make improvements to the intersection at Saratoga Avenue and Cox Avenue and install audible signals for the visually impaired at the intersection at Saratoga Avenue and Cox Avenue as well as at Saratoga Avenue and Bellgrove Circle.

The total cost of the project is about $4.7 million. $4.2 million will be funded by a state grant awarded for safety improvements in 2013, and the remaining $560,000 will be funded by Saratoga’s gas tax fund. The entire project is expected to take 10-12 months.