In a bid to improve traffic flow at a key Stanford Research Park intersection, Santa Clara County is moving ahead with a series of improvements, including a new left-turn lane, on Page Mill Road and Hanover Street.

The project, which is getting funded largely through Measure B, the county's 2016 transportation tax, received a boost on Aug. 17, when the county Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $1 million contract with Redgwick Construction to begin work.

In addition to creating a new westbound left-turn lane on Page Mill, the project includes "re-phasing" the traffic signals to improve the flow of traffic, installing ramps at the crosswalks that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and upgrading the pedestrian push buttons to make them contactless and accessible for the blind.

With the contract approved, the four-month project is expected to kick off in October, according to the county's announcement.

Supervisor Joe Simitian, whose district includes Palo Alto, said in a statement that the project is "designed to provide meaningful traffic congestion relief for people going to and from work, home or school."

"The goal is simple: Help folks get where they want to go quicker, and as safely as possible," Simitian said.

The county project targets what was in the prepandemic days one of the city's most congested commuter corridors, which stretches between U.S. Highway 101 and Interstate Highway 280 and serves as a major artery for commuters to the research park and to businesses on El Camino Real and California Avenue. Mayor Tom DuBois said in a statement that the approved plans to improve the intersection are "great news for folks who live and work in Palo Alto." The project he said, will "help relieve congestion through on of our heavily traveled roadways."

"Page Mill Road can use all the help it can get," DuBois said.