New pothole-repairing machine being trialled in Suffolk
Suffolk Highways says it uses 'innovative dragon patching technology'
New technology to repair potholes is being trialled in Suffolk.
Suffolk Highways says the new pothole-repairing machine, known as the Dragon Patcher, will help fix the growing number of potholes experienced nationally during the winter season.
They'll initially focus on areas in rural Suffolk.
How does it work?
The Dragon Patcher is a machine that releases compressed air which cleans the surface of the road, before heating the surface to a temperature that enables repair material to bond effectively with the road surface, allowing the pothole to be repaired with an aggregate and hot bitumen material.
Compared with the traditional approach of repairing potholes, it can work five times faster.
Suffolk Highways says the trial is in addition to the pothole repairs they're already regularly carrying out as part of their routine repair programme.
They also revealed, over the past two months, that they've repaired 2,851 potholes across the county.
"A huge spike"
Councillor Paul West, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for Ipswich, operational highways and flooding, said:
“The recent cold and wet weather has expectedly brought a huge spike in the number of potholes appearing across our roads and we are working around the clock to tackle the current levels we are seeing.
“The arrival of the Dragon Patcher in Suffolk will help bolster our efforts in getting these defects repaired, especially focusing on rural roads where we can repair higher numbers, in a fraction of the time.
“This new piece of kit is one way in which our new highways contract strives to provide better value for Suffolk’s taxpayers and works to reduce impact on the environment.”
Once the trial ends in Suffolk, a decision will be taken on whether to roll out the technology across the county.