Nearly $1 million approved for Bowling Green sinkhole repairs

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - On May 6, Bowling Green City Commissioners approved a $900,000 change order with contractor Scott & Ritter Inc., which will go to the repair of several sinkholes that opened in town as a result of April’s floods.

According to Bowling Green Public Works, the agency is currently tracking more than 30 sinkholes in total within city limits, which will need to be repaired by both the Public Works department and the city contract holder.

“Essentially, from the April storm, we had a total of 11 sinkholes that were going to need to be repaired by the contractor,” said Bowling Green Public Works geologist Nick Lawhon. “To put that into perspective, we usually repair between 8 and 10 on the contract in a given year. So, we had our entire year’s worth in that timeframe, and the other issue is that these are generally larger than we’ve seen in recent years.”

In years past, the city has set aside around $100,000 for sinkhole repairs, but officials said the record number of sinkholes in 2025, and their locations, have created an increased need for funding repairs.

“There’s so many close together. There’s been a few other exacerbating factors such as the existence of utility lines, one falling in in the middle of a soccer field which brings in the added cost repairing the soccer field back to a playing surface, and others that have fallen in at roadways which brings in the added cost of repairing the roadway. So, all that’s kind of combined for the perfect storm, if you will, of sinkholes,” Lawhon explained.

Officials also said a disturbing trend in weather data suggests the increase in sinkholes this year isn’t a one-off situation.

“Our rainfall patterns from what we’ve observed from about 60 years of data from the airport at the National Weather Service station have been toward more rainfall, and more intense rainfall, and those things absolutely drive sinkholes. Just from observed trends at our weather station, we absolutely expect more sinkholes,” he said. “We expect more and more potential flooding situations as we move forward.”

For residents, Lawhon said the increase in sinkhole activity has not been found to affect homes in most circumstances, as the vast majority of them are found in areas where rainwater tends to pool, such as ditches, basins, and floodplains.

Officials said if you do spot a sinkhole, it should be reported to Bowling Green Public Works at 270-393-3628.