Pothole-filled and gravel-strewn Emil's Way will finally get some attention from the state.

PennDOT District 12 spokesperson Valerie Peter-sen confirmed that the state will resurface Emil's Way, a small strip of road that connects Route 30 with Center Avenue in North Huntingdon. Petersen said a timeline for the work had not yet been set, but she said the work likely will start in the spring.

PennDOT workers will spend the intervening time surveying the site and determining how to address drainage issues and the stability of the roadbed. Petersen said crews will also gather information for a traffic study, which PennDOT will use to decide whether or not to put in a traffic light or stop sign at the intersection.

The confirmation from PennDOT comes as particularly good news to attorney Jerome Tierney, whose law office sits near the road. For several years Tierney has campaigned for roadwork on the dilapidated Emil's Way, which he refers to as "the Bermuda rectangle."

"I'm elated that they're going to do the necessary work," said Tierney, who received a letter informing him of the decision last week.

Tierney has found himself dealing with Emil's way for almost 20 years. In 1989 he represented John Hanko, who operated Norwin Pizza on Route 30. A state work crew mistakenly put asphalt on a stretch of Hanko's property instead of the state right-of-way between the two highways.

The action led Tierney to file for de facto taking of the property in court. PennDOT agreed it "screwed up," according to Tierney. But rather than remove the asphalt, the state agreed to maintain it as a road and pay Hanko for the property.

After three appraisals, a board of viewers set the price at $76,000. The land was deeded to PennDOT in 1990.

In 2004, North Huntingdon named the road to honor Emil Klanchar, a resident and businessman who lived near the road until his death at age 100 this past fall.

The township however, did not assume responsibility for maintaining the road, which it said lay with the state.

Tierney said although PennDOT originally maintained the road, over the last few years no work had taken place, leaving the popular shortcut between two heavily traveled roads in poor condition.

When Tierney contacted PennDOT about fixing the road, the state initially denied ownership of Emil's Way because of an error that had left the road without an official number.

This fall, however, the state admitted ownership and agreed to look into the situation.

While Tierney is pleased the road will get needed work, he also hopes the state will decide to put in a stop sign or traffic light at the heavily traveled intersection.

"Maybe two or three times a year there's an accident in that area," Tierney said.