The 1900 block of Arlington Avenue could soon be on the road to reopening.
The section of Arlington Avenue between Francis and Woodsdale avenues was closed throughout March because of two sinkholes caused by a sanitary sewer issue.
Christy Soncrant, commissioner for the division of engineering and construction management, asked Toledo City Council to allow the city to enter into a contract with Northwood-based Hillabrand & Sons Construction to begin an investigation into the sinkholes.
“We’re going to have to bypass pump and try to get a camera in there and see if we can try to figure out what’s going on,” Ms. Soncrant told the council at an agenda review meeting Tuesday.
Bypass pumping is a temporary redirection of water or wastewater flow and is often used during sewer line maintenance.
Ms. Soncrant said the investigation is estimated to take about two weeks and is expected to cost $250,000. The city requested quotes from six different contractors, but Hillabrand & Sons Construction, LLC was the only bid.
After the investigation concludes, the city will have to rebid the project out to contractors. Bids previously put out to repair the sewer resulted in only one quote from E.R. Zeiler Excavating Inc. for more than $21 million.
“So unfortunately, it’s not going to be repaired for another couple of months,” Ms. Soncrant said.
The sewer is 45 feet deep and 4 feet wide, making it a large and complicated repair. The investigation will help the city determine the most efficient, and cost-effective, way to complete the repair. Because the sewer is so deep, she said, it is hard to describe to contractors the extent of the repair.
“All the contractors, their barrier is with it being 45 feet deep and not really knowing what’s going on with two sink holes,” Ms. Soncrant said.
After the sanitary sewer repair, the city will begin to replace the waterline on the street. Arlington Avenue is already scheduled for a reconstruction project from South Detroit Avenue to Spencer Street in 2026. The city will remove and replace the road, drive aprons, and curbs. The city will also add bump-outs for on-street parking.
The street closure is in Councilman Theresa Gadus’s district. She said she has been in constant communication with the city about the repair.
“I drive out there fairly often to see what is going on,” Ms. Gadus said. “It is a major artery in our neighborhood and to have that giant hole has been terrible for the residents.”
She said the $21 million estimate was shocking, and while the investigation will delay the repair of the street a little bit longer, she thinks the administration is handling it in the best possible way.
“I think it will be worth it in the end because as a taxpayer, we won’t be paying as much, and we’ll make sure it gets done in the right way,” she said.
The proposed contract will be on council’s April 8 agenda.
First Published April 1, 2025, 10:39 p.m.
