TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – City leaders spoke with residents Monday to inform them of what is going on with the sinkhole on Arlington Avenue.
The discussions came as construction expanded for other sanitary sewer issues in the area.
Residents like Sally Shaw spoke to city leaders Monday about their concerns with the sinkhole.
“It’s difficult for everybody,” Shaw said.
She was curious to hear more about the fix.
“Some of the questions were answered,” Shaw said. “They don’t know much to tell us. Now, they’ve got to get more cameras in there to tell us.”
The sinkhole was caused by a sewer line break 45 feet below ground. City leaders had plans to put cameras in the sewer to figure out what kind of damage needs repair, but the water was too high to be able to complete that investigation.
“We have a lot of unknowns until we get that water out of that sanitary sewer,” Toledo Commissioner of Engineering and Construction Management Christy Soncrant said.
Soncrant said now the repair crews will also do the investigation. They need to remove the water from the sanitary sewer using giant pumps that currently can’t fit in existing manholes.
“A shaft has to be built so that we can put these very big pumps in to start pumping water,” Soncraft said.
The repair will cost nearly $8 million. Work is expected to begin in mid-June and last until December.
Napoleon Howard is another resident who lives near the sinkhole. He used to work on sewer projects like this.
“For this to be as big as it is, where it is, it’s a task. It’s going to be a task,” Howard said.
His main concern is not the project but the reckless drivers frustrated with detours. He said that people drive on his yard and have even knocked down his fence to get around the blocked-off area.
“It’s really bad when these people are trying to rush through,” Howard said.
He is also concerned for the seniors, children and people with disabilities trying to get around.
City leaders said they are working to install temporary speed bumps and other measures to manage traffic during the project.
Another contractor is currently working on a separate sewer repair project near Detroit Avenue and Arlington Avenue. Once that repair is complete, crews will begin work near the sinkholes.
Even though the city aims to have the sinkhole repaired in December, city leaders said they do not know when the road will reopen to traffic.
A full road reconstruction from Detroit Avenue to Spencer Street is scheduled to take place from April to October 2026.
For city updates about construction on Arlington Avenue, click here.
For the presentation slides from the city’s meeting with residents, click here.
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-05-13 07:06:00
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