New pothole patching machines mark road repair overhaul

After years of daily complaints about stubborn potholes, three new patching machines rolled into the Ministry of Transport and Works’ (MTW) fleet on Wednesday, marking the first concrete step in Barbados’ long‑promised push to modernise how the nation fixes its roads.
The promised upgrade to the ministry’s pothole‑repair programme moved into its operational phase with the arrival and handover of the first three of six new pothole patching machines for the MTW.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works Santia Bradshaw said the equipment is expected to significantly increase the ministry’s daily repair capacity, reduce wastage, and modernise how road maintenance is carried out across the island.
“One of these machines can prepare up to 250 square metres a day,” Bradshaw said, noting that MTW currently prepares about 122 square metres daily using traditional patching teams. “Three machines, therefore, give us about six times the preparation capacity.”
Bradshaw was speaking during the official handover ceremony at Inchcape’s offices in Warrens, where the three machines, purchased through JCB and Inchcape, were formally received.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works Santia Bradshaw taking a close look at the new patching machines. (SM)

The remaining three units are expected to arrive shortly and be pressed into service once cleared at the port.
The machines combine cutting, cropping and cleaning functions in a single mobile unit, allowing smaller crews to complete repairs more efficiently and safely than the ministry’s long‑standing manual approach.
Officials confirmed that for decades, pothole patching has relied on teams of four or five workers manually shovelling hot asphalt from trucks — a process Bradshaw described as labour‑intensive and increasingly outdated given heavier traffic volumes, ageing underground utilities and more intense rainfall.
“We’ve recognised that what we obtained decades ago cannot remain the norm for a ministry that is seeking to improve its efficiency and operations,” she said.
Bradshaw acknowledged public frustration over persistent potholes, noting that road surfaces are often compromised when utility companies must reopen newly repaired sections to address ageing water, gas and telecommunications infrastructure.
“Every time a road is broken, it becomes compromised,” she said, adding that repeated reinstatement can contribute to recurring surface failures, particularly during heavy rainfall.
The minister said training will begin shortly, with overseas trainers expected to arrive to work directly with MTW teams. A “train‑the‑trainers” model will then allow locally trained operators to pass on skills to additional crews.
In the interim, traditional pothole patching will continue while contractors ramp up asphalt production following the holiday period. MTW will also temporarily expand the use of cold‑mix material to accelerate repairs during the dry season.
“Our staff will learn on the job because the situation is so dire that we need to get this equipment into operation as quickly as possible,” Bradshaw said, while asking the public to be patient during the initial learning phase.
The new machines are intended to improve productivity, not displace workers, Bradshaw stressed as she pointed to a wider training programme planned for 2026 to upskill staff across multiple types of equipment.
The delivery follows Bradshaw’s announcement in October 2025 that MTW had placed an order for six pothole patching trucks as part of a wider road repair programme. At the time, she said the ministry expected the machines to arrive by the end of the year, with training and full‑scale pothole patching beginning in early 2026 once the hurricane season had ended.
Bradshaw also confirmed on Wednesday that MTW has already identified priority roads for initial deployment and continues to rely on public feedback to guide repair scheduling.
“We welcome the input of the public in alerting us to areas we may have missed,” she said.
She added that the machines form part of a broader effort to modernise the ministry’s operations and accelerate road rehabilitation during the January‑to‑June construction window, when weather conditions are typically more favourable.
Bradshaw indicated that a wider briefing on MTW’s 2026 road programme and upcoming tenders would be held next week.