JCB’s Pothole Pro, Tornedo in Knutton
Written by Hitmix Local News on 22 April 2024
Staffordshire’s JCB Pothole Pro is on the move around Staffordshire, helping to fix potholes and prepare roads for surface treatments.
The machine has recently been used on Newcastle Road in Hanchurch, and will be moving up and down the county over the next few months to help with Staffordshire’s spring push on pothole repairs.
It will be involved in ‘pre-patching’ and other defect repairs. Pre-patching is where potholes and defects are patched up ahead of being covered by a road surface treatment, designed to prolong the life of the road.
The JCB Pothole Pro machine is a unique 3-in-1 machine, designed to repair potholes in an average time of eight minutes.
The county council will be carrying out preventative maintenance on more than 450 roads across Staffordshire in 2024/25, totalling around 1.5 million square metres.
This is all part of a £50 million investment in maintaining and improving Staffordshire’s highways over the next three years, alongside a total of £53 million being spent on a range of major projects, vital road improvements and general road maintenance in 24/25.
Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways Mark Deaville said: “This is the very start of the Pothole Pro’s tour across the county, where it will be helping to fix defects ahead of surface dressing. The Pothole Pro is an essential part of our arsenal when it comes to fixing defects, as it can get the job done quickly and efficiently.
“Throughout the spring and summer, the machine will be moving across the county as part of our road treatment programme—this is an essential programme for extending the life of our roads and ensuring smoother journeys for the people of Staffordshire.”
Local county councillor Jeremy Pert said: “After a very long and wet winter, the weather has taken its toll on our local roads, so it’s great to see the Pothole Pro out and about in Hanchurch making our roads safer by fixing potholes.
“Having the most innovative equipment to repair the roads is vital to ensure that the repairs can last as long as possible and can be made cost effectively. After all, good roads are important for our residents and businesses.
“We’re also looking into flooding issues in the area and will be working with teams to find a solution. These repairs will make the world of difference to Hanchurch residents and, importantly, prevent the need for more costly maintenance later on.”
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A suspected tornado has left a trail of damage in a local village with a caravan flipped over and dozens of cars and homes damaged. Residents were woken up at around 6.30 this morning as the freak high winds tore through Knutton, smashing windows, damaging roofs and leaving bins and other debris scattered across streets. The Met Office has today issued a yellow weather warning for wind across North Staffordshire – with gusts of 46mph hitting the area – the epicentre appears to have been the St. Giles Road area of Knutton. Unfortunately, Knutton St. Mary’s church roof has been damaged, and for health and safety reasons, the service to celebrate 150 years at St. Mary’s this evening has been postponed. The weather warning runs until 10pm tonight.
