Numbers prove that the new bit of LCC Highways kit is properly filling the gap, says council.
The JCB Pothole Pro has had quite a journey in Lincolnshire to become part of the Highways road maintenance team – and the results are really speaking for themselves according to the county council.
With one of the biggest road networks in the country to look after, Lincolnshire County Council has to work smarter to keep more than 5,500 miles of roads in good shape.
It has a road network unlike any other in the country, including roads built on everything from heavy clay and chalk to coastal sandy loams and silt, plus very busy urban stretches. Its unpredictable geology means that Lincolnshire has the lot, and every type brings its own problems for road surfaces.
After a nine-week trial in 2021 that focused on urban areas, the same team of officers brought the Pothole Pro back nearly a year ago with a fresh brief and a full 12-month, if-needed timescale to get a much clearer idea of what it could do. This time, the trial focused on reactive patching, tackling clusters of defects and preparing patches quickly and cleanly. And it delivered.
The target for the machine was 60 square metres a day. It averaged 64. When it was pushed harder, it went even further, including a standout day on Bardney Causeway, where it helped deliver 376 square metres of repairs.
Across the trial, peak daily outputs (the best single day in each month) added up to the same area as 101 parking spaces or a full five-a-side pitch plus a community swimming pool. All achieved in just eight working days.
The council said that it’s quicker, cleaner, safer and more efficient, and it’s now part of the Lincolnshire fleet because it’s proved exactly what it can do.
Peak daily outputs recorded:
September: 135m²
October: 147m²
November: 124m²
December: 107m²
January: 101m²
February: 127m²
March: 109m²
Average monthly peak daily output: 121m²/day
During a road closure operation on Bardney Causeway, the machine supported a surfacing gang and contributed to 376m² of repairs in a single day.
Those single-day peak totals across the trial in isolation cover the same area as 101 car parking spaces, repaired and reinstated, or a full five-a-side football pitch plus a community swimming pool. All in just eight working days.
Cllr David East and the Pothole Pro
Cllr David East, Executive Member for Highways at LCC (pictured above), said: “We’re really proud of what the Pothole Pro has helped us achieve this year. It’s made a genuine difference out on the network, and the results are there for everyone to see.
“When you’re dealing with a county as big and as varied as Lincolnshire, you need tools that can keep up with the pace and, when used the right way, the Pothole Pro has done exactly that.
“Our roads face challenges that most places simply don’t have, whether that’s the sheer size of the network, the rural stretches that take a hammering from heavy machinery, or the ground conditions that can change from one mile to the next.
“And even taking all that into consideration, we’ve seen real improvements over the last year. The Highways officers have worked incredibly hard, and bringing in equipment like this means we can get more out of every pound and keep pushing those improvements further.
“The trial proved what the machine can do, and now it’s part of the fleet because it’s earned its place in a proven, beneficial way. It’s productive, it’s efficient, and it helps us stay on top of the job. Residents want to see progress on the roads, and this is one of the ways we’re delivering it.”
