New Jersey To Deploy 'Pothole Killers' To Fix Roads After Rough Winter
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Even with a break from wintry weather, many local roads are still a mess.
Potholes are a major problem, but help will soon be on the way.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation unveiled a new state of the art pothole filling machine as officials announced a statewide pothole repair campaign after the harsh winter wreaked havoc on roads.
The department will deploy 13 so-called "pothole killers" to make permanent repairs to the roads.
New Jersey Officials Unveil State Of The Art Pothole Filling Machine
The one-man operation will fill potholes quickly and safely.
"So we don't have people outside a vehicle kind of exposed to traffic," Assistant Commissioner Andrew Tunnard said.
The machine sprays air to clean the potholes, injects a tacky substance and fills the road with material, which is then run over by cars. It makes repairs that don't need steamrollers or tamping down.
Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox expects crews will fill 300,000 potholes over the next few months.
"We're going to spend at least $4 million," Fox said.
Last week, a huge pothole in Leonia caused numerous flat tires, backing up traffic on Interstate 95.
"I wouldn't even call it a pothole, I'd call it a crater," driver Ty Redmond said last week.
The pothole, which was about 3-feet wide, apparently developed Wednesday morning near milemarker 117.4 northbound between Leonia and Ridgefield Park.
Troopers were called to the area and slowed down traffic so repair crews could patch the hole. The repair work was completed in about an hour.
