“Pothole Killer” Is Patching Binghamton-Area Highways

A specialized truck is being used by DOT crews in the Southern Tier to fill potholes on some of the region's busiest highways.

The truck - which has been dubbed a "Pothole Killer" - utilizes a spray injection process to apply materials to damaged road sections.

The vehicle was used Wednesday for patching operations on sections of Interstate 86 and State Route 17 in Broome County.

The "Pothole Killer" truck being operated by the New York State Department of Transportation is owned by Patch Management Incorporated of Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania.

Company president Craig Baclit says Patch Management now has 46 units which are used by many local and state maintenance departments.

The demand for the pothole repair vehicles is high after a winter that caused a significant amount of damage on streets and highways across the Northeast.

Baclit says this past winter was unlike anything he's seen in his lifetime. He says the company is building more Pothole Killers to keep up with the demand.

The trucks can fill a pothole without the operator leaving the vehicle to complete the repair work.

The patcher uses a blower to remove loose debris or water from the area to be repaired.

An asphalt emulsion is applied to provide an adhesive base. The emulsion also is used to coat the aggregate that's placed on the roadway. Some dried aggregate then is applied to provide a barrier.