Jetpatcher does the job on Highland roads

The Vice Chair of Highland Council’s Community Services Cllr Richard Greene and Badenoch and Strathspey Ward Member Cllr Jaci Douglas recently viewed a ‘Jetpatcher’ in operation at Grantown on Spey.

Following trials with neighbouring Local Authorities the Council’s Community Services Committee in February this year, approved the purchase of a Jetpatcher with £150,000 from the capital programme. Over a 10-year period the cost of purchase and in-house delivery will provide a saving against the contracted cost of jetpatching.

Cllrs Greene and Douglas were given a demonstration by Jetpatcher operator Shaun Melia of NU-Phalt as he air blasted out a pothole, then lined and sprayed it with emulsion (bitumen) and filled it with 6mm stonechip.

Cllr Greene said: “I was very pleased to see the new Jetpatcher in operation at first hand. It only took five minutes to a repair a four-and-a-half by one-and-a-half foot squared pothole. It was truly impressive and extremely efficient and next to no delay was caused on the road.”

Cllr Douglas added: “Three minutes later other small potholes were blasted and repaired in the immediate area. We were both very impressed at how flat the repair was compared with a hot-tar filled hole which tends to set about 1/2inch (1.25cm) proud of the road level. Overall it is a very quick and efficient way of tackling the scourge of potholes on Highland roads.”

The lorry and Jetpatcher is driven by Highland Council’s driver Bob Armitt from the Grantown Depot.