JCB Pothole Pro hits the roads

7 November 2022

JCB reports more interest in its Pothole Pro machine for tackling essential highway maintenance.

Northumberland County Council recently invested in one of the units to help keep the county’s roads running smoothly after successfully trials last summer.

It will be put to work initially in the more urban south-east of the county, where the machine’s manoeuvrability and mobility mean it can be deployed quickly in town centres and on housing estates to complete repairs at multiple locations each day. 

Councillor John Riddle, cabinet member for local services, said: “This is a great example of how we are using innovation and the latest technology to improve the services we provide. With a huge 3,000 miles of road to look after, anything that can speed up the process of repair and maintenance and save money is a win-win.”

Separately, JCB has also supplied six of Pothole Pros to Dawsongroup, a specialist supplier of self -drive municipal and environmental equipment such as street sweepers, gully tankers and refuse collection vehicles.

The machines will be offered for hire or contract hire to local authorities and contractors across the country as winter approaches. 

Demand is expected to increase as the Asphalt Industry Alliance’s (AIA) annual local authority road maintenance survey estimates there are £12.64 billion worth of outstanding road repairs in England and Wales, equating to a nine-year backlog.

The Pothole Pro can prepare up to 250m2 of roadway in a single shift, or 5,000m3 per month, and allows the operator to cut the defect, crop the edges and clean the hole with one machine. Safety is also enhanced as workers do not have to use hand-held cutting and breaking equipment, eliminating the risk of HAV, says the manufacturer.