Where Is ‘Pothole Killer’? Oneonta Patching Streets Usual Way

You Oneonta residents may remember that back in May of 2018, The City of Oneonta decided to try something new to patch the worst of the potholes that ravaged streets in the city. The "Pothole Killer", a machine with a robotic arm and driven by an operator, owned by Patch Management of Pennsylvania, promised to be a cheaper and more effective way to fill in street potholes.

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What were the results of that venture? I can tell you that after watching the Pothole Killer in action, there were some mixed results. For example, on Academy St., the operator of the machine accidentally sprayed black residue from the pothole fill material onto the sidewalk in several places. It has faded over time but not that much and is unsightly. With that said, the potholes filled in by the machine are still intact almost three years later. Considering that the asphalt fill that is typically used by the city doesn't last more than a year and seemingly a mere few months, that's impressive.

Maybe we need to give the Pothole Killer another try? I have seen the lasting results at least on Academy St. with my own eyes after three years. I don't know about any other streets that were patched using the machine. Perhaps, we give it another try and just make sure the operator is an experienced one. Below, see video I took while watching the Pothole Killer at work in May of 2018. You can see where he did the sidewalk "Oops!" near the utility pole.