THUNDER BAY -- The Roads Division of the City of Thunder Bay has taken possession of a new Python 5000 pothole patcher.
The $360,000 machine, manufactured in Canada, is expected to save on street maintenance costs because it requires only one person to operate.
Pothole repairs normally require at least two people.
Roads Supervisor Brian Kral explained Tuesday that the Python uses air pressure to remove debris from a pothole, dispenses fresh asphalt, then rolls it flat with a large roller.
Throughout the process, the operator never has to leave the vehicle's cab.
Kral said that's a big change from the labour-intensive practice that's normally required.
According to the manufacturer, the Python can fill a pothole in only two minutes, and the patch will outlast the surrounding surface.
The machine will be used mainly on Thunder Bay's main arteries rather than on residential streets.
Kral hopes to have it in action within two weeks, after operators have been properly trained.
