Battle of the pothole repair machines!
By Sarah Wood | 30th July 2024
As part of Gloucestershire County Council's ongoing investment in roads, it has tested four devices to mend potholes.
The machines which have been racing across the county this spring and summer are:
1. Roadmender - heats recycled material, which is spread across damaged patches of the road surface, creating a watertight seal.

2. Bobcat - the nifty machine cuts away damaged sections of the road and prepares a neat surface for new asphalt.

3. The Spray Injection Patching Machine - known as the 'pothole buster', it moves quickly along a road, firing air at high speed into potholes to clear them out before aggregate is coated in bitumen and applied at high speed.

4. JCB Pothole Pro - cuts, crops and cleans patches, enabling an average pothole to be fixed in just eight minutes.

In the finale of the machine trials, this Friday (August 2) in Fairford, the Roadmender and Bobcat will operate along the same stretch of road in direct competition.

A full evaluation of the season's trials will be conducted over time to determine the rate and quality of the repairs carried out. The winning machines will join the council's growing road repair arsenal.
Cllr Dom Morris, cabinet member for highways and flooding, said: "Some councils are trying one or two of these machines and techniques, but in Gloucestershire we're testing many tools to get the best results. We're absolutely dedicated to improving the county's roads and using all the latest tools available to create better journeys for Gloucestershire's residents."
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