Stoke-on-Trent City Council hosted trials while the PotholePro was in development last year and is now set to take delivery of the first machine in the next few weeks.
The Pothole Pro is an adapted Hydradig wheeled excavator, with tools for cutting and cleaning around potholes. It also has a hydraulic cropping tool, which the previous JCB Pothole Master, a modified 3CX backhoe loader, does not.
JCB claims that it can repair potholes four times quicker than standard methods. [See our previous report here.]
Stoke councillor Daniel Jellyman, cabinet member for regeneration, infrastructure and heritage, said: “At a time when every penny counts for local authorities, we’re delighted to have been at the forefront of developing and trialling this new machine. We can’t wait to get our hands on it and put it to work on the city’s roads.”
JCB director Paul Murray said: “The council has been involved right from the very early stages of its creation. The team has worked with us throughout the development process and also took part in trials last year. They’ve clearly seen the benefits and believe in the machine which as manufacturers is great news.”
Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s machine will be supplied dealer Gunn JCB. Over the next three months, a fleet of PotholePros are being demonstrated to potential customers across the UK and Ireland, JCB said.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
