Louth County Council trial pioneering solution to permanently fix county’s potholes in minutes

Martin McCreesh, LCC, Frank Meade, LCC, Kevin Buckley, LCC, Mark Johnston, Senior Engineer, Cllr Conor Keelan, LCC, Denis O’Kelly, ECI-JCB, Conor Sloan, LCC, Darius Messayeh, Act SEE and Phil Turner

placeholder image — Martin McCreesh, LCC, Frank Meade, LCC, Kevin Buckley, LCC, Mark Johnston, Senior Engineer, Cllr Conor Keelan, LCC, Denis O’Kelly, ECI-JCB, Conor Sloan, LCC, Darius Messayeh, Act SEE and Phil Turner

Louth County Council have introduced a new, rapid pothole-fixing machine, the first of its kind in Ireland.

They say JCB Pothole Pro, which will begin repairs across the county this month, reduces road restoration times to just minutes while providing a more economical, permanent and sustainable solution than currently offered by conventional methods.

The innovative, high-powered technology works by cutting, planning and sweeping the road before filling defects with hot asphalt for a long-lasting result.

Designed to operate safely and efficiently in congested urban areas, they claim the Pothole Pro which can cover up to 250m2 per day, will maximise performance across Louth’s 1,614km road network.

In addition to providing a more efficient solution, they say the automated nature of the machine reduces safety risks to operators often posed by manual power tools.

Commenting on the launch, Cllr Conor Keelan, Cathaoirleach, Louth County Council, said:

“This is a fantastic new development towards further improving the efficiency of our operations across the roads of Co. Louth.”

Mark Johnston, Senior Engineer at Louth County Council, said:

“Potholes which often form quickly and randomly, especially in wet weather, overwhelm scare Council resources, disrupt motorists and can cause extensive damage to vehicles.

"Keeping the road in good condition is a priority for Louth County Council and this ground-breaking technology will be vital in enabling us to meet the Council’s strategy of prompt pothole mending with no requirement for further, future repair.”

The JCB Pothole Pro has been part-funded by the Department of Transport.