Crews have filled nearly 6,000 potholes in Cincinnati since the beginning of March, according to a Wednesday report from City Manager Sheryl Long.
"Recent rainstorms and fluctuating temperatures have resulted in the reopening of temporary road patch fixes," Long said. "Asphalt plants are scheduled to open on April 20th, allowing crews to implement more sustainable general repairs until full re-pavement can be undertaken."
Heavy rain and subsequent flooding have also redirected many of the city workers responsible for filling potholes. Long says 18 truck drivers and three heavy equipment operators are dealing with mudslide remediation; two crews are working on pothole repair; and six crews are working on sign installations.
The city has contracted with outside workers to speed up the work. Adelta Construction is repairing potholes on Shepard Creek and West Fork (having previously worked on Reading Rd., Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Jefferson Ave., Kirby Ave., Victory Parkway, Ridge Rd., and Madison Rd.). The contract totals $1.3 million, of which a little over $1 million has been invoiced and paid. The city has another contract with Cincinnati Asphalt for $100,000, of which about $63,000 has been invoiced and paid.
How to report potholes
The city's Department of Public Services relies on resident reports to find and repair potholes.
You can report potholes to the city by:
- Calling 311
- Visiting
- Using the
City Manager Long's report says there are currently 468 active service requests for pothole repairs. That may include multiple requests for one pothole, but crews also typically fill multiple potholes per single service request.
Wasn't the railroad sale supposed to fix streets?
Short answer: yes, but the city doesn't have the money yet.
Cincinnatians voted narrowly in 2023 to sell the city-owned Cincinnati Southern Railway; the $1.6 billion sale revenue was invested and the returns will be used to maintain or replace existing city-owned infrastructure. That includes paving streets (and also includes maintenance of things like Police and Fire stations, city parks, recreation centers, and more).
Although the sale was approved over a year ago, it wasn't finalized until March 2024. City officials planned to allow the fund a year of investment before drawing on proceeds. The most recent investment update shows the fund grew by nearly $100 million in the first 11 months.
Investment returns will not be available to the city for spending until fiscal year 2026 begins July 1 of this year. The Cincinnati Southern Railway Trust board of trustees has agreed to send the city $56 million for FY26, to be paid in quarterly installments of $14 million on July 1, Oct. 1, Jan. 1, and April 1.
City Council will decide how to spend the railway revenue as part of the annual budget process; they must pass a final version by the end of June. Council is currently divided on which specific existing city-owned infrastructure projects to spend the money on. The most likely path forward is the city manager's plan, which broadly prioritizes streets and bridges and promises to spend at 80% of the money in neighborhoods where the median household income is less than $50,000.
As part of the fiscal year 2025 budget, City Council voted in June 2024 on how to spend the final $26 million lease payment from Norfolk Southern; that included $12,916,500 for street rehabilitation. That budget also included $2.8 million of new revenue resulting from the sale (in transaction fees). Of that, Council approved an additional $41,000 for street rehabilitation.
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