Written by Tanya Terry
Featured photo: George Johnson, a foreman on Flint’s street maintenance team, shared the City’s plan to replace potholes.
A road repair plan was recently announced by City of Flint officials at a March 18 press conference, held at Flint City Hall.
“Our streets have been ravaged by a very, very harsh winter, freezes and thaws, you know, plowing, has been very havoc on our roads,” said Mayor Sheldon Neeley. “As you guys know, driving through the city of Flint, as I do, the roads are a difficult situation.”
Neeley pointed out that not all roads within the city of Flint are the responsibility of the City.
“ …Though we have 506 miles of road inside the city of Flint, we take care of the local roads here as a municipality, but also in our partners from the county, they have county roads that need to be taken care of and also state roads that need to be taken care of,” Neeley added.
“But we have teams and crews, and we have a plan to be able to engage this space.”
Neeley said the City’s plan was to add an additional half million dollars into road repair.
“…This has been one of the harshest winter that the city of Flint has seen as it relates to freezing and thaws on our roads, and it caused havoc.”
Neeley noted that in the cold months, only what is call cold patch can be applied, which is a temporary situation or patch for potholes. He added that is not a permanent patch or street paving and said the City went through about 200 tons of cold patch so far this winter.
George Johnson, a foreman on Flint’s street maintenance team, shared that four teams will be going to each side of town to make sure potholes are taken care of.
“The mayor has given us the goal to be able to work 10 hours a day and also on Saturdays,” added Johnson. “So, we plan to be very effective. We’re going to be very active out here…and we ask that the citizens… be patient with us. If there’s anywhere we got to go that you see some potholes somewhere that we haven’t gotten to, please be sure to call in to the hotline, and we’ll get to them as soon as possible. But do be patient with us as we’re out there on the roads. Please slow down because we’ll be in the middle of the streets, and we’re out there to work and benefit for you all to get the job done. “
Neeley pointed out that what was being discussed at the press conference was a new initiative for the City of Flint.
“Never before have we have put so much deployment in trying to engage these roads,” he said.
Permanent road repair is expected to start by May 1.
“…We will still be doing cold patch,” he explained. “Hot patch will be available. Our engineers are working with our street maintenance teams to be able to find better technology and better tools to be able to permanently fix our roads, 506 miles of roads”
Neeley said the additional $500,000 for this effort would be put into the City’s proposed budget, which city residents can review and comment on during a public hearing to be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, March 23. The hearing will take place in the City Council Chambers, on the 3rd floor of Flint City Hall, at 1101 S. Saginaw Street.
The City of Flint is adding and sending a resolution to city council to reappropriate another $500,000 to sidewalk repairs within the city.
A copy of the proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget is available on the City’s website, or at the Flint City Clerk’s Office.
To report a pothole in the City of Flint, residents can visit the City’s website, or call 810-766-734.
