Jackson city officials say broken down equipment is a major reason for the city falling behind in repairing potholes.
However, leaders say they plan to have the equipment back up and running by January, to begin a full-frontal assault on the road problems.
“We have one pothole machine that’s in the shop. The other one is working and being used every day possible,” said Engineering Manager Charles Williams.
On average, Jackson city crews are filling about 800 potholes a month. The number is down from more than 2,000 the city was filling each month when all of its trucks were up and running.
“When you don’t have all the tools for the process, it can slow your production down,” Williams said. “We’re trying to do as much as we can with the resources we have.”
Of equipment, one of the city’s two pothole-patching machines, two tandem trucks and one paving vehicle were all at the municipal garage awaiting repairs.
The vehicles have been down for weeks awaiting repairs, some of which is general maintenance.
The tandem trucks, which are large dump trucks that road crews use to carry materials to work sites, both have axle problems. On the paver, the machine that smooths over asphalt once potholes are filled, had numerous problems pop up, including a wiring harness foundation.
And on the pothole patcher, the device that distributes emulsion malfunctioned. The emulsion, or tack, is the material that holds the fill materials together and binds them to the road.
“I think it needs to be cleaned,” Williams said. “sometimes when you’re dealing with emulsion, you just need some routine maintenance.”
The pothole patcher was purchased in 2015 under then Mayor Tony Yarber. The truck is basically a self-contained machine, which allows operators to clean, fill and compress the pothole materials within a matter of minutes.
It is one of two pothole patching trucks owned by the city.
The device was purchased at the behest of a former public works director, who said it would make the city more efficient at filling potholes.
Williams said the city is also planning to keep records on when and where potholes are filled, to ensure people know where repairs are being made.
He estimates that the vehicle repairs will run between $30,000 and $35,000 to make the repairs, funds that will come from public works’ annual maintenance budget.
The work is being done in-house, with the majority of the monies going toward materials costs.
