New 'pothole-busting jet patcher' launched in Gloucestershire
It can fix up to 100 pot holes a day
A new pothole busting jet patcher that can fix up to 100 potholes is the latest tool county highways are using to fix the county’s roads.
A summer programme of resurfacing is underway to improve road conditions across Gloucestershire.
And Gloucestershire County Council, which is responsible for maintaining more than 3,700 miles of roads, is investing £100m on resurfacing.
Shire Hall chiefs say many highways have been adversely affected by some of the coldest and wettest winter weather in 100 years.
But extra funding from central government means they can expand their annual work plan and fast track repairs. More than 170 county roads are being resurfaced this year and this is supported by a programme of new and innovative methods of repairs.
The council has also set up a dedicated programme to accelerate some areas of operational work and ongoing improvements across their highways teams.
This is backed by an additional investment of £1.27 million by the council in 2023/24 and is allowing teams to make more use of some of the more flexible and innovative approaches to help fix our roads.
Eight new “find and fix” teams have been set up to tackle smaller potholes before they get worse.
The council is also using a spray injection patcher machine, known as a “pothole buster” can fix up to 100 potholes in a day. This is supported by extra patching gangs relaying larger areas.
And they are trialling new techniques with new cold materials so they’ll be more resistant to bad weather.
The technique is also faster, reduces carbon and produces less waste.
Highways and flooding cabinet member Dom Morris (C, Fairford and Lechlade-on-Thames) says his main priority is improving the condition of the county’s roads.
He says this is why the council is undertaking a huge programme of repairs this summer.
Cllr Morris also wants to make the system of reporting and getting potholes fixed better for citizens. “We all want better roads, and we are committed to delivering them,” he said.
“This year more than 170 roads will be resurfaced and our extra investment means that repairs can be made faster and more efficiently.
“The highways transformation programme is implementing changes to the way we deliver services including introducing ‘find and fix gangs’ to fix potholes earlier, spray injection patching which can fill up to 100 potholes in a day, and trialling innovative new materials to speed up repairs and help them last longer in bad weather.
“Since April we’ve filled over 12,000 potholes and this summer we will be making more improvements to the roads than ever before. These ideas and our £100 million resurfacing investment will deliver results for our residents.”
A dedicated webpage is also available providing weekly updates on the ‘summer of resurfacing’ and there is still time to complete the local roads survey.