More than 1,000 potholes being repaired weekly across Cambridgeshire - thanks to three fiery ‘dragons’
County’s potholes go up in smoke as two new ‘dragons’ fly in - Credit: Archant
More than 1,000 potholes are being repaired across the county per week thanks to the fire of three ‘dragons’.
Councillor Bill Hunt, vice-chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council’s highways committee said that thanks to three specialist machines, known as ‘dragon patchers’, potholes are becoming a thing of the past.
He said: “We all know and realise what a nightmare potholes can be.
“We are now repairing over 1,000 potholes per week and the dragons are doing their best to make pothole misery a thing of the past and last year’s news.”
Since January, the county’s first dragon patcher has made almost 7,000 repairs to potholes and larger patches across Cambridgeshire.
Each of the three machines can repair up to 150 potholes a day, and is faster and quieter than traditional methods.
Nicknamed the ‘dragon’ because it fires out flames to dry out the road surface, it is then cleaned with compressed air and sealed with a stone mix and hot bitumen.
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Councillor Mathew Shuter, chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council’s highways and community infrastructure committee, said: “We’ve been working hard to restore our roads following the damage done by the Beast from the East and the severe weather we had earlier this year.
“We are really pleased to have these two new dragon patchers which arrived in the county this month.
“We have learnt from the previous winter and have already made changes to the way we repair the potholes so we’re ready for this winter and these dragons will help us in our battle.
“They’re around five times faster than traditional methods and also mobile which is particularly good for rural areas and can do more work for the money.
“Our roads are important to us and we continue to maintain our roads and carry out regular inspections to ensure they are in a good condition.”
To report a pothole or problem on the road visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/roads-and-pathways/roadworks-and-faults/
