Changes to the Cranberry Highway in East Wareham, which have been discussed for nearly two decades, will not be coming to fruition for another couple of years.

Three members of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation—Manager Pamela Haznar, Architect Carrie Lavalle and Project Manager William Travers—spoke at the Board of Selectmen's meeting Tuesday night to give them an update on the multimillion dollar project to fix a portion of the Cranberry Highway stretching from Home Depot to the Bourne town line.

The MassDOT representatives reported the project was in the 25 percent design stage and is currently under review with the Department of Transportation. The project was further along at one point, but had to back pedal to figure out a problem involving the right-of-way. However, the project is still on schedule to begin advertising in federal fiscal year 2014. Federal fiscal year 2012 began on October 1.

Among the new changes will be the addition of shoulders, a median and sidewalks. The new median will be low enough that emergency vehicles can drive over it, but high enough to keep cars from doing the same.

Selectmen Cara Winslow and Michael Schneider both implored the representatives to advance the process in anyway they can.

"I'm disappointed we have to wait," Selectman Ellen Begley said.

Winslow also brought up the two recent deaths on the Cranberry Highway caused by vehicles hitting pedestrians, saying that even if barriers were put up, people would still cross the highway in places that are not marked as a crosswalk. She suggested making sure the highway is better lit in the area where the accidents occurred, since visibility is an issue there.

"This is a very important project," Haznar said. "We will do everything we can to advance it."

The representatives from MassDOT are working with the police and Mark Gifford for input on the project. They plan on holding a public hearing when the plans are closer to completion. They assured the Board of Selectmen that the hearing will be well advertised so the public can attend if they so choose.

Selectman Steve Holmes said he's supported the project from the beginning, but is concerned about the road when it is taken over by the town five years after completion because Wareham does not have the equipment to maintain it.

Haznar said MassDOT will come to an agreement with the town to make sure the road will be well cared for after the state hands it back over to Wareham.