The pothole killer is at work in Nassau

It is hard at work on state roads in Nassau County this month, and it is called “The Pothole Killer.” This pothole repair machine is a specialized piece of equipment that performs spray injection patching of potholes. It uses high velocity air pressure with temperature controlled asphalt emulsion products combined with aggregate that is sprayed into the pothole that makes a quick, high quality repair.  The machine uses air pressure out of the nozzle to clear the pothole first, and then injects the asphalt material. The machine itself mixes the emulsion and the aggregate to make the patch material. It has its’ own heater which heats the emulsion first.

 According to Eileen Peters of the New York State Department of Transportation, “Using this machine is safer for both motorists and NYSDOT workers as it minimizes the number of travel lanes we need to close for repairs and the duration of closures is shorter.  It is also convenient and we are pleased with the quality of the repairs.“ But, she notes NYSDOT must also utilize traditional cold patch and warm asphalt mix pothole repair techniques on busy roads. One man runs the pothole killer, but others are needed for traffic safety. “Our crews recently completed pothole repairs on the Meadowbrook State Parkway (MSP) between the Southern State Parkway (SSP) and Ocean Parkway (OP), Peters said, “Over the next week our NYSDOT maintenance crews will be using the pothole machine to repair potholes in southwestern Nassau County on OP between the MSP and the Jones Beach tower and then for moving night repairs on eastbound and westbound SSP in western Nassau.”