Flourishing Sunderland company steps in to tackle the UK's massive pothole problem
‘Our machines deliver a significant number of repairs quickly and permanently’
Tens of thousands more potholes are set to be repaired each year following a record investment in new machines by a Sunderland company.
Road repair and maintenance specialists Velocity is the largest operator of spray-injection patching machines in the world and the additions take the fleet to 50 machines.
The expansion comes as more highway authorities adopt spray-injection patching to bring their networks up to standard and keep them there.
Velocity has gained experience by working on every part of the UK’s road network and has a fleet which ranges from compact machines made for congested urban streets and the narrowest rural lanes, to high-capacity workhorses built for maximum output.
Dominic Gardner, Velocity’s managing director, said: “We know how difficult the task is for highways authorities to maintain the network we all depend on. They need repairs that last and dependable delivery models that help them use their resources responsibly.
“Our machines deliver a significant number of repairs quickly and permanently. Customers appreciate the quality of our operators and process, with many working in partnership with us to deploy multiple machines and crews.
“This investment in new machines is paired with further investment in people. As well as training new operators on how to use the machines, we spend a lot of time training on standards so that customers can remain confident of consistent quality on every repair.”
The machines and operators are deployed on contracts throughout the UK, carrying out hundreds of thousands of reactive and preventative repairs each year.
The contracts are a mix of year-round multi-machine arrangements, as well as pre- and post-winter programmes to prevent or repair defects during adverse weather.
The first new machines were deployed in County Durham, making the short journey from Sunderland to begin work on the area’s rural road network. Further machines are scheduled to enter service during 2026, ahead of the next winter maintenance season.