More than 500 potholes in Borders roads repaired in three months

More than 500 potholes have been filled in across the Scottish Borders over the last three months by a game-changing road repair machine, councillors have been told this week.

SBc Contracts delivers infrastructure improvements across the council’s roads and built estate.

The improvements are funded from the council’s capital programme and include road surface treatment and patching, civil engineering works and sign manufacture.

The local authority’s Pothole Pro machine continues to provide an alternative to traditional patching methods and has been used to complete repairs on 538 potholes using asphalt over the three-month period.

Three and a half years ago, Scottish Borders Council acquired a JCB Pothole Pro – which costs around £165,000 or can be hired for around £600 a month – amid growing concern at the poor state of the region’s roads.

The Pothole Pro is seen as a way of patching up roads and keeping them safe.

It combines three machines in one and can repair a pothole in less than eight minutes – four times quicker than standard methods and at half the cost of current solutions.

The machine is needed more than ever with the pothole menace costing cash-strapped UK drivers an estimated £1.48 billion a year in repairs.

Meanwhile, works have commenced and are progressing well on this year’s bridge and culvert repair programme, with works started at Ale Bridge, Coldstream Bridge, Chirnside Bridge, Upper Henlaw and D75 Orchard Mains Bridge.

In regards to projects for the estates department, works have commenced to provide outdoor learning facilities at Duns Primary School, Halyrude Primary School and Coldstream Primary School.

Members of SBC’s External Services/Providers Monitoring Group received an update report on the work of SBc Contracts when they met on Tuesday.