Freeborn County commissioners on Tuesday voted to move forward with a $16,000 study that would re-evaluate traffic controls on the north end of Bridge Avenue in Albert Lea.

The study comes as county and city officials are looking at whether changes need to be made to the road, such as adding turning lanes or stoplights.

The evaluation would update traffic counts, turns and crash counts from Interstate 90 south to Hammer Road. The last study of the road was completed in November 2005 and updated after neighborhood meetings.

Freeborn County Board Chairman Dan Belshan, who had voted against the study at previous meetings, said he changed his vote Tuesday because of new information.

“While I am still not in favor of using consultants while local staff can be used, after my careful research and checking with several engineers and firms about getting it done for less money, research showed that the state engineer system is skewed in favor of using consultants to do traffic studies,” said Belshan.

He also noted that local businesses affected by the changes “are held hostage by the need for things to be done soon,” and County Engineer Sue Miller could not act without the study.

Commissioner Mike Lee, who also initially did not support the study, said he voted in favor of the evaluation because he supports a stoplight being put in between Hy-Vee and the location of the new Kwik Trip. He said to get that light in, it will need the support of the study.

“I’m all for public safety,” Lee said. “Anything to do to cut back on accidents, I’m for.”

The cost of the study, to be conducted by SRF Consulting Group Inc., out of Minneapolis, will be shared between the county and city.

Miller said the goal is to complete the study in the next month or two, with public meetings in mid- to late summer.

Discussion comes as several businesses along the corridor are considering improvements or are moving to the street.

What to do on Bridge Avenue — also Freeborn County Road 22 — has been a point of discussion for both the county and city in the last decade, though the focus usually has been on the south end of the street.

Bridge Avenue serves as one of the primary conduits between Albert Lea’s downtown and the commercial and residential areas to the north. Because it is a county highway that runs through the city limits, both the city and the county have a role in its renovation, no matter what is decided for the route.