PATCHING POTHOLES A PRIORITY
Repairing potholes on local roads throughout the Dubbo region has been a priority for Dubbo Regional Council (DRC) this year. Over 22,000 potholes have been filled by the Jetpatcher crews since the start of the year, following the severe rain events at the end of 2022.
Stretching from one side of the Local Government Area (LGA) to the other, DRC’s road crews have been working to repair potholes across the road network, using the Jetpatcher system to complete these works.
The Jetpatcher revolutionised the way potholes are filled by crews, cutting down on time spent by allowing workers to complete almost all of the rectification stages using the one machine.
DRC operates three Jetpatcher trucks across the LGA which are fitted with satellite surveillance equipment that show where the machines have been, how many potholes they have filled and allow Council to produce heat maps for reporting of works.
“The Jetpatcher trucks have allowed us to fill over 22,000 potholes so far this year throughout Dubbo, Wellington, the surrounding villages as well as on rural roads,” Operations Coordinator, Simon Warman said.
“While there’s still plenty of work to be done we are well on track to get through the backlog brought about by last year’s wet weather. Recent drier conditions are definitely helping road crews to be able to repair and rehabilitate roads.”
“The Jetpatcher is a temporary solution for pothole repairs as it is the economic option in comparison to other methods such as heavy patching. Council can undertake patching of potholes while planning and undertaking reconstruction of the more severely damaged roads,” Mr Warman said.
Jetpatcher maintenance activities are used in conjunction with other forms of road repair works such as heavy patching, resealing and re-sheeting. Dubbo Regional Council has 12 crews who inspect and maintain over 2,700 kilometres of sealed and unsealed roads across the LGA.
In addition to the pothole repairs carried out by the Jetpatchers, Council has reallocated crews from other projects to assist with the works. Hundreds of tonnes of coldmix has been used across the region to carry out these repairs during the extended wet season.
The pothole repair works that utilise the Jetpatcher have been supported by funding from the NSW Government’s Fixing Local Roads Pothole Repair Round.
If you see a pothole or other road damage in the Dubbo LGA, you can report it via the DRC&Me on Council’s website or call 6801 4000.
Last Edited: 26 Oct 2023