One of our favorite Natchez games may be soon coming to an end.

Dodge the pothole keeps all local drivers on their toes.

But as federal stimulus money trickles our way, the potholes may just be a thing of the past on many area streets.

And, for safety’s sake, we are glad.

Canal, State, Pearl, Commerce, Rankin and Washington streets and Melrose Avenue are all on a list for partial or complete overlays. Since some of the roads haven’t seen major work in 25 years, we know this is needed.

The city engineer and his office made the smart choice, selecting downtown roads that are heavily traveled by all. Grouping the roadwork together will allow for bigger bang for the government’s buck.

Once the construction is done and the ride is smooth, we’ll all be grateful for our piece of the stimulus.

But this one-time fix to an age-old problem shouldn’t merely be accepted with a grin and a handshake.

City leaders must begin making a plan to rework the city budget so these roads and others can be maintained without a handout from Washington.

We don’t know when the next stimulus plan will come, but we do know approximately how long it takes a paved road to tear up.

The Natchez roads didn’t fall apart overnight, but it’s unlikely another overnight fix like this one will ever come our way again.