– including when it comes to tackling age-old issues, such as potholes.
Highways officers and staff from contractors Balfour Beatty have seen the JCB Pothole Pro in action, repairing both potholes and larger damaged areas in roads in Rogate and Goring. The one machine tackles all the stages leading up to the new surface being laid. It:
Cuts out the repair area,
Crops the area, to ensure a stable surface…. and then
Cleans, ready for the laying of the new surface material.
A West Sussex Highways spokesperson said: “The Pothole Pro can be used for both pothole repairs and larger areas of patching.
“We were able to see first-hand its precision, speed and efficiency in tackling the tasks. It’s one of the innovations we have been trialling and will be assessing the results.”
Caption: Montage picture: from top left: cutting, cropping (bottom left to right) and cleaning/ removing old surface material
Roads are not permanent structures and deteriorate over time from constant use, the weight of vehicles using them and the effects of weather.
Repairing defects, such as potholes, is done on a priority basis, dependent on size and depth.
More than 20,500 potholes were repaired by West Sussex Highways in 2020 – that’s the equivalent of about 390 a week and compares to 16,000 pothole repairs in 2019.
If a pothole is a significant and immediate risk to public safety, phone 01243 642105.
