Tuolumne County officials tout new $150K pothole patching machine,
Tuolumne County officials are touting the acquisition of a $150,000 “state-of-the-art” pothole patching machine that’s expected to help fix deteriorating roads.
A news release on Monday announced the arrival of the machine that the county Board of Supervisors approved purchasing last year as part of a larger push to improve roads and infrastructure countywide.
“Good roads make good communities,” said County Supervisor Ryan Campbell, who represents District 2 and serves as board chairman this year.
The patcher represents a major improvement over traditional “cold patch” pothole treatments typically used on the county’s 610mile road system, according to the news release.
Up to six tons of hot asphalt can be transported in the machine’s high-temperature hopper, which allows for “superior, long-lasting repairs” compared with other methods, the news release said.
“Workers will use compressed air to blow out potholes before applying a layer of tack oil, then hot asphalt flows out of the machine along a conveyor belt and into the pothole,” the news release stated in describing how the machine works. “Crews will then use an onboard compacting machine to force asphalt into the pothole under tremendous pressure.”
County road crews are scheduled to begin training with the manufacturer of the machine this week, with the patcher expected to go into full service throughout the county starting in November.
A two-person team is required to operate the machine, with one person patching potholes while the other follows behind with a protective attenuator for worker safety.
“Future plans are to have a dedicated pothole crew now that we have this state-of-the-art piece of equipment,” said County Supervisor Anaiah Kirk, who represents District 3. “Between the increases in ditching projects and culvert pipe repairs, which keep water off our roads, the addition of this hot patch machine is adding major headway to preventative maintenance of our fragile roads.”
The board approved the purchase of the machine prior to the additions of County Supervisors Jaron Brandon, Kathleen Haff and David Goldemberg, who took their seats in January.
County Public Works Director Kim Macfarlane noted that the board originally approved spending up to $250,000 out of the Road Fund to purchase the machine, though county Fleet Manager Mike Young negotiated a price that was roughly $100,000 less.
“Impressed by the efficiency of the hot-patch operation, our Road Superintendent Mike Cognetti and Young researched the various models available, settled on a trailer-mounted version, and we took the request to the board soon after,” Macfarlane said. “Given our meager paving budget, this patcher just made sense.”
Both board seats currently filled by Campbell and Kirk will be up for grabs next year in the primary election on June 7. Both were elected in 2018 and ran on platforms that included fixing roads as a top priority.
Kirk announced his bid for a second consecutive four-year term as District 3 county supervisor in June, while Campbell has said he plans to run for re-election and is eyeing an official announcement at a later date.
For questions about the pothole patching machine, contact the county Public Works Department at pw@tuolumnecounty.ca.gov or (209) 533-5601.