DeKalb County has agreed to put $520,000 of state money into buying necessary right-of-way for an intersection improvement on a key county road.

The county will spend $700,000 of local sales tax money beyond the state transportation dollars on the Lavista Road intersections with Oak Grove Road and Oak Grove Drive.

Buying the land is the first step in a project that calls for a new alignment to make one intersection out of the two side streets, adding bike lanes and sidewalks and other work.

Once the land is bought, the county expects to bid the construction work in 2012, with completion in 2013.