Twelve months ago Gateshead Council’s began using a JCB Pothole Pro to repair the borough’s roads more efficiently to and provide longer-lasting results for residents.
Since October 2025, the specialist machine has completed almost 20,000 square metres of carriageway repairs, compared with around 2,000 square metres using the previous method, representing an increase of almost 900% in maintenance output.
The machine was introduced as part of the council’s wider investment in maintaining and improving the borough’s highways. Over the past year, the Pothole Pro has been used across communities throughout Gateshead, helping to improve road conditions and ensure the highway network remains safe and reliable for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. Locations are selected using a combination of resident reports and inspections carried out by the council’s highways team.
Councillor Graham Keating, Cabinet Member for Roads and Transport said:
“The Pothole Pro has transformed the way we carry out road repairs across Gateshead. In just one year, it has enabled us to repair almost 10 times more road surface than our previous method, helping us improve road conditions more quickly and efficiently for residents. We’re investing in our roads for the long term, and the Pothole Pro is playing a key role in ensuring our highways network is safer, more reliable and better maintained for everyone who lives, works and travels in Gateshead.”
(Picture: Gateshead Council)
