THUNDER BAY -- City council voted unanimously to purchase a $360,000 pothole-fixing machine on Monday.
The 2017 budget committed to purchasing the Python 5000 Pothole Patcher but council had to vote to sidestep its normal request for proposals process and buy the unique item from the only Canadian company that manufactures it.
The vote was unanimous.
It will take six months to assemble and deliver because the Python 5000's parent company Superior Roads constructs the product on demand.
The pothole patcher held a demonstration in Thunder Bay last September, after which many councilors were encouraged to purchase the machine.
The Python 5000's parent company Superior Roads claims the machine can fill potholes in only two minutes that will "outlast the surrounding surface."
It can fill cracks as well as potholes and can operate in temperatures as cold as -20 Celsius.
