After getting no answers from officials, residents brought their concerns about a crumbling road in Anderson Township to our most recent Let's Talk event, searching for a solution.Larry and Jill Garrison have lived in Anderson T ownship for more than two decades. In those years, the Garrisons say cracks along Elstun Road have worsened, and now parts of the hillside street are sliding.The two said the damage has made navigating the neighborhood difficult."You can't walk on the street, and you have to drive less than 25 miles per hour," Larry said.Larry pointed out the uneven pavement when I followed up on our discussion about the damage."What you're looking at here, the road hasn't shifted much here recently, but down here it has, and we have to call the county to put more gravel in so we can even drive through," Larry said.WATCH: Anderson Township residents express frustration over the long-time collapsing Elstun Road Residents demand answers as collapsing road threatens their homes and safetyHamilton County Engineer Eric Beck told us that last year's flooding and a gas main installed by Duke Energy are causing the damage to get worse.In a statement, Beck explained that the section of Elstun Road has a documented history of pavement movement and settlement related to flooding from the Ohio River, which backs up into the Little Miami River."During high water events, groundwater levels rise near the roadway, and as floodwaters recede, fine soils can be carried away, leading to settlement and long-term instability," Beck said.Beck noted the most recent movement observed around July 17-18 occurred during dry weather and appears to be a rotational slope movement rather than typical settlement."While utility work was occurring outside the public right-of-way near the slope at that time, we are continuing to evaluate all contributing factors as part of our engineering review," said Beck.Beck added that at this time, there is no conclusive evidence identifying a single cause.Duke Energy says the damage was done before it undertook an infrastructure project in the area."Duke Energy Ohio is not responsible for roadway maintenance in Hamilton County and, as such, cant speak to when repairs of any county road are made," spokesperson Matt Martin said in a statement.Martin said Duke Energy and the county resolved a dispute about impacts on Elstun Road."Although Duke Energy Ohio maintains that the road was damaged before it undertook an infrastructure project in the area, it has agreed to provide a one-time payment to support the Countys design, engineering and construction of repairs along Elstun Road," the statement said.However, the county is responsible for the project.Beck confirmed there is no litigation between Hamilton County and Duke Energy, adding that the two have worked cooperatively and the project timeline is not being delayed by any legal dispute. Instead, the timeline is driven by engineering design, coordination of work in the area and construction conditions.He said the county focused on developing a permanent, engineered repair rather than a short-term patch. Following adjacent utility work, winter conditions limited the availability of asphalt materials and suitable construction conditions.Fixing the road could cost over $2 million, and Beck said they are currently evaluating project costs and potential funding sources. In the interim, the road has remained accessible to emergency services and local traffic using temporary pavement, and staff continue to monitor the site for additional movement."Our goal is to complete construction of a long-term repair by the end of this construction season, pending final design, permitting, and contractor availability," said Beck.Still, the Garrisons feel like not enough is being done."They're all apologetic, saying they were going to do something. It's just lip service at this point, unfortunately," Larry said.He expressed frustration over seeing other infrastructure projects moving forward while their street remains broken."I see them fixing curbs, I've seen them doing stuff up in other parts of Sutton Avenue; it would be a prime example. They're putting all new curbs and stuff in. This street needs work on it. I mean that street's still drivable, you know, so I don't know where their priorities are," Larry said.Jill Garrison said they expected more since Elstun Road is one of the earliest settlements in Anderson."We have 21 houses on our street. It only impacts five of us, and I don't know why, because all of the street is a hillside, but for some reason, we're at the dead end, and that's where it's been mostly affected," Jill said.For residents like Ed and Karen, who walk the area every day, it is frustrating that no one will take accountability."It's a topic with your neighbors. It's a couple of women who walk their dogs, and we discuss it three to four times a week 'What's going to happen?' 'Nothing, OK,' Ed said.The ongoing issues are pushing some homeowners to consider leaving the area entirely."Very good chance when I sell this house down here, I'm moving out of the county," Larry said.A geotechnical engineering firm is currently designing a retaining wall solution to stabilize the slope.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less