WATERLOO - Finding a way to fix Dubuque Road in Evansdale encountered as many bumps along the way as the road itself.

Evansdale officials say it's been a struggle to find funds and regional support for the project at times. On Thursday though, it was smooth sailing for two measures to make Dubuque Road safe again.

The Black Hawk County Metropolitan Area Transportation Policy Board unanimously agreed to amend its fiscal year 2009-12 Transportation Improvement Program budget to include $108,000 in design engineering fees to reconstruct the washboarded inside lanes of Dubuque Road. The vote followed a public hearing at the Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments building in downtown Waterloo.

Prior to the vote, the board's technical committee gave its blessing to the estimated $2.1 million project. It recommended the board, which decides how to spend federal transportation dollars, set aside $1 million in fiscal year 2010 to help pay for removal and replacement of 1.5 miles of deteriorated lanes.

Kevin Blanshan, INRCOG's director of transportation and data services, said fixing Dubuque Road isn't a done deal yet. But once projects get to this stage of the process, they're usually approved. The board will vote on it next month.

"It's rare they're not approved, but it could happen. The only thing I could see stopping it is a reduction in funding," Blanshan said.

Evansdale Mayor Chad Deutsch, who's also on the Policy Board, said the support from fellow board members is much appreciated. He considers Dubuque Road a safety hazard - the inside lanes contain two-inch or higher ridges three feet wide that stretch the entire width of the road - and fixing the problem is long overdue.

In February, Deutsch attempted to convince the board to allocate federal economic stimulus funds to rebuild the road this year. The board refused.

"It's been an ongoing struggle for a long time. This is a resolution to the problem, and that's what I was looking for," Deutsch said after the meeting.

Evansdale will need to pay at least 20 percent of the reconstruction cost.

From January 2008 through January 2009, there were 25 motor vehicle accidents on Dubuque Road in Evansdale, which officials mostly blame on its poor condition. To keep people safe, Deutsch said the city will likely close the bad inside lanes in two to four weeks and lower the speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph. The move is temporary until reconstruction is complete, the mayor said.

The Evansdale City Council on Tuesday decided to solicit bids to either buy traffic barriers to close the lane themselves or hire a company to do it for them. Early estimates for both came in at $13,000.

"You need to keep people safe," Deutsch said.

Evansdale has struggled with Dubuque Road's maintenance for nearly 25 years. Once part of U.S. Highway 20, state officials turned it over to local control when the present U.S. 20 was built on the metro area's southern edge.

Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.