The company launched the JCB PotholePro earlier this year - a machine that can repair a pothole in less than eight minutes, four times quicker than standard methods and at half the cost of current solutions.
Hampshire Highways, a collaboration between Hampshire County Council and Milestone Infrastructure, took part in a week-long demonstration this week across Hampshire where the machine repaired in excess of 250 square metres of patches in the road.
Cllr Rob Humby, Left, Executive Lead Member for Economy, Transport & Environment and Cllr Russell Oppenheimer, Executive Member for Highways Operations with the JCB PotholePro
Paul Swallow, JCB PotholePro General Manager, said: “It’s been a hugely successful trial in Hampshire this week and I’m confident that everyone involved got to see just how effective the JCB PotholePro is at fixing potholes and patches permanently and at half the cost of current solutions.
“Potholes are a huge concern for councils all over the country and one of the issues with repairs at the moment is that in most cases they are only short- term fixes – and that’s where the JCB PotholePro differs.
“Just like when you have a filling, the dentist has to carefully remove all the decay so your tooth can be filled properly without recurrence of pain. It’s just the same with a pothole: it needs to be prepared properly before it is filled so the pothole doesn’t open up again within weeks. That’s exactly what the JCB PotholePro does; it cuts, crops and cleans the hole so a permanent repair can be carried out.”
The JCB PotholePro in action
Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Highways Operations, Councillor Russell Oppenheimer, commented: “From the demonstration seen, it is clear that this machinery is effective in making a quick, clean and efficient repair. It will be interesting to understand more about its cost effectiveness over time but the potential for increasing the speed of repair is appealing.”
Simon Watson, Business Director for Milestone Infrastructure, said: “Innovation in highway maintenance is key to reducing disruption and providing value for money for Hampshire residents, and I am pleased that Hampshire Highways is working closely with JCB in trialling new products. Together with the County Council we want to lead the way in innovation and this is a great step forward in seeing what can be achieved.”
Tests with local authorities and contractors show the JCB PotholePro can complete a pothole repair in less than eight minutes – equivalent to up to 250 square metres per day and 700 potholes per month. With a 40km/h travel speed, the machine can rapidly relocate between sites without additional transport costs.
The demonstration was arranged through Hampshire Highways and JCB dealer Greenshields JCB.
The PotholePro allows the contractor or local authority to cut the defect, crop the edges and clean the hole with one machine – delivering up to a 50 per cent cut in daily costs. It is equipped with a 600mm wide planer and integrated dust suppression system, enabling the operator to plane a full carriageway from the kerb, without repositioning. The machine also comes with a sweeper/bucket and hydraulic cropping tool, allowing a uniform hole to be prepared by the operator from the comfort of their cab.
Councils around the country get a request to fix a pothole every 46 seconds, and nationwide more than £8.1 million was paid out in compensation to drivers last year for vehicle damage caused by potholes.
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