DelDOT patcher makes quick work of potholes

Three men with shovels is no longer the preferred system to fill potholes on Sussex County roadways.

Delaware Department of Transportation has a new $200,000 RA-300 spray patcher that allows the driver to do the work of a crew and do it in less time. The truck is capable of cleaning out the pothole and spraying it with tar and stones to create a more permanent fix than the traditional cold-mix patch, said Paul Santa Barbara of DelDOT’s South District in Gravel Hill.

Using a system of joysticks, Santa Barbara demonstrated the process by first using high-pressure air to clean out the hole. He then used a pinpoint spray injection system to apply a tack coat of emulsion followed by a mixture of stone and hot emulsion to fill the pothole. One more layer of dry stones was applied and the hole was filled and ready for traffic – all in less than 5 minutes.

“It’s just like a paved road,” Santa Barbara said.

DelDOT has four patching machines in the state. Besides making the process of patching potholes more efficient, it’s a safer process. Crews are taken off the road, out of harm’s way, Santa Barbara said.

Potholes are created when moisture seeps into the pavement, freezes, expands and then thaws in the spring. This repeated freezing and thawing eventually weakens the pavement. As traffic goes over the weakened area, small pieces of the roadway break off. A pothole starts to form as more traffic goes over the area.

DelDOT spends more than $2 million a year repairing potholes, said DelDOT spokesman Jim Westhoff.

Santa Barbara will scour the highways and byways of Sussex County this year looking for potholes. To report a pothole, phone 302-760-2080 or 1-800-652-5600.