The Chapel Hill Town Council on Monday gave town planners the green light to move forward with a revamp of the Fordham Boulevard-Ephesus ChurchRoad intersection.

The first phase of the project will cost $2.4 million, but the NC Department of Transportation will reimburse the town for the majority of the costs.

The project will widen Ephesus Church Road near Rams Plaza and add a new westbound left-turn lane as well as pedestrian crossings, medians and missing sidewalk connections.

Officials say construction to redesign one of Chapel Hill’s busiest intersections will take place during off-hours and during the summer months.

Council members voted unanimously to authorize roadway design, negotiation with property owners for public right-of-way and easement agreements, and bidding the projects for construction.