Bengaluru introduces jet patchers to fix potholes on busy roads

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru civic administration has begun testing a jet patcher machine to fix potholes on busy roads without making traffic come to a halt, as the city continues to face criticism over the condition of its roads.

Bengaluru Urban Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda launched the trial on Friday, September 11, saying the technology could offer a quick solution for smaller potholes, particularly on roads where stopping traffic for conventional repair work is difficult.

The minister said the city’s pothole problem was not uniform and therefore required different repair methods depending on the extent of road damage. The jet patcher, he said, would be useful for isolated potholes measuring around two to three inches.

“We cannot use the same solution everywhere. Where there are smaller potholes, this machine can be used without completely stopping traffic,” Byre Gowda said.

The machine is capable of cleaning dust from the damaged portion and applying a wet mix material as part of the repair process. This, according to the minister, would allow civic workers to undertake repairs while vehicles continue to pass through the road.

He said conventional hot-mix technology was not always practical during the monsoon because it requires more material, a roller and traffic restrictions for a considerable period. On heavily used roads, such restrictions can worsen congestion.

However, the minister cautioned that the jet patcher would not be a solution for deep potholes. Larger and severely damaged stretches would have to be repaired using other methods.

The current exercise has been launched on a trial basis. If the experiment proves successful, the technology could subsequently be considered for use by other civic corporations as well.

Alongside the repair initiative, the government is also planning to use technology to identify potholes more systematically. Byre Gowda said Bengaluru has about 15,000 km of roads and it was not possible for officials to manually assess every stretch continuously.

Selected civic vehicles will therefore be fitted with dash cameras to capture road conditions while travelling through different parts of the city. The recorded data will be analysed to identify damaged portions and create a more scientific assessment of the road network.

Byre Gowda said the dash-camera initiative would help the authorities move towards a data-based system for identifying and monitoring potholes rather than relying entirely on complaints and manual inspections.

The jet patcher trial and proposed dash-camera system come amid continuing public concern over Bengaluru’s pothole-ridden roads and pressure on the civic administration to ensure faster repairs without adding to traffic congestion.

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