Watch the new pothole 'zappers' that could end the misery for Midland motorists
Three new pothole machines are being rolled out on Staffordshire's road to help tackle the county's pothole problem.
The three machines, one bought and the other two hired, are known as Roadmasters and 'zap' potholes, filling and sealing them remotely.
Potholes are one of the biggest problems facing the county, with the deputy leader of Cannock Chase Council having previously warned that someone will end up losing their life if more potholes are not filled in.
The new machines work by spraying in materials to fill and cover the pothole, before then driving over to seal it.
Speaking about the new 18-ton machines Mark Deaville, Staffordshire County Council's highways and transport boss, said: "By investing in the very latest technology we have a less labour intensive and more cost-effective way of repairing potholes more quickly.
"We do need to use a range of techniques depending on the size of the pothole, location and condition of the roads and the purchase of the Roadmaster is part of our overall plan to manage the maintenance of our 6,400km with the budget we have available and against other spending priorities for the council.
"During good weather crews are now fixing around 350 potholes every week and the two Roadmasters now in action across the county. In addition to this, we are also improving the "lifespan" of our roads by surface dressing 350km of carriageway this year, that's the equivalent of from Penkridge to Plymouth."
The county council prioritises repairs based on the risk posed to members of the public with category one being the highest priority to category three the lowest.
Councillor Deaville added: "Our crews take a practical common sense approach, fixing urgent potholes first, grouping repairs together where possible and managing traffic to get the work done with as minimum disruption as possible.
"The good news is that we are fixing priority potholes more quickly, but with a network the sheer size of Staffordshire this is of course an ongoing challenge and is why as a council we want to focus more on approach which will reduce the number of potholes appearing."
Earlier this year the Express & Star reported that Amey, the contractor looking after Staffordshire's roads on behalf of the county council, was exploring the option of job cuts in favour of using technology - such as these new Roadmasters.
For video, go to expressandstar.com
