New JCB Pothole Pro clocks on close to home
Council’s new pothole fixing machine helps improve roundabout outside factory in which it was built
STAFFORDSHIRE County Council’s brand-new Pothole Pro has clocked on for its first shift – on the doorstep of the JCB factory where it was produced.
The council has just taken delivery of the machine from the JCB Heavy Products factory in Uttoxeter – and its first job was right next to the plant on the A522 Uttoxeter Road where the authority is undertaking major road improvements.
Ben Rawding, JCB’s general manager for government and municipalities, said: ‘We are passionate about helping to fix Britain’s roads and there is no better place to start than right on the doorstep of where the Pothole Pro was manufactured in Staffordshire.
‘The Pothole Pro is the UK’s number-one solution for pothole repairs, and it’s transforming the way local authorities are fixing roads. We are delighted that Staffordshire County Council has invested in the machine, and we look forward to seeing the great results it will achieve.’
David Williams, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at Staffordshire County Council, said: ‘I cannot think of a more fitting first job for the Pothole Pro than helping to improve the roundabout outside the factory in which it was built.
‘The Pothole Pro’s mission is to fix Britain’s roads, and it will certainly help us when it comes to road improvements, not just here but across the whole of Staffordshire. It also showcases our investment in new technologies to help make our highways repairs more efficient, and further cements our partnership with JCB.’
The works include the resurfacing the roundabout outside the JCB factory - with the JCB Pothole Pro playing a pivotal role. The machine is planing the road next to kerb drains and around ironwork. It is also grinding out some of the existing potholes on the roundabout that have been temporarily filled.
The JCB Pothole Pro machine is a unique 3-in-1 machine, designed to repair potholes in an average time of eight minutes without the need for additional specialist equipment or extra manpower.
The Pothole Pro can prepare up to 250m2 of roadway in a single shift, or 5,000m2 per month and allows local authorities to cut the defect, crop the edges and clean the hole with one machine before they are filled with bitumen – mechanizing jobs traditionally done by pothole gangs.
