Potholes are no match for Amarillo’s newest public works technology — a fleet of state-of-the-art DuraPatcher Pothole Repair Trucks that are already transforming how the city maintains its roads.
With a joystick in hand and years of experience on Amarillo streets, city employees Paul Lundegreen and Emilio Aguilera are now fixing potholes with speed and precision once unimaginable. Describing the process as part surgery, part video game, the two are among the first operators trained to use the new DuraPatcher trucks — a $923,445 investment approved by Amarillo City Council last August.
“The trucks are working pretty good for us,” said Aguilera, Equipment Operator I with the City of Amarillo Street Department. “Actually, they are working very well.”
That’s an understatement. Since hitting the streets in May, the new trucks have helped the city more than quadruple its daily repair output. Where traditional crews averaged around 20 pothole repairs a day — often requiring multiple workers, traffic cones, and full lane closures — the new system allows a single operator to fill as many as 146 potholes in a single shift.
“We can now fill a pothole in a matter of seconds, depending on the size,” explained Lundegreen, a Utility Worker with the department. “It’s a big change from how we used to do things.”
The process is straightforward but remarkably efficient. From inside the cab, the operator uses a joystick to control a robotic arm equipped with a multi-stage repair nozzle. First, compressed air blasts debris out of the pothole. Next, a tacky emulsion is sprayed to help new material adhere. Then, the hole is filled with a mixture of stone and asphalt emulsion and topped off with dry aggregate. Just minutes later, traffic can resume as usual.
“No more closing lanes for hours,” said Len Hill, Street Superintendent for the City of Amarillo. “With these trucks, our crews can keep a consistent repair pace all day long.”
Before deploying the trucks, Lundegreen and Aguilera went through a two- to three-week training program that covered both the mechanics and the safety procedures involved in operating the equipment.
“Is it like a video game? I guess you could say that,” Lundegreen said, chuckling. “It was definitely unique training.”
Residents are starting to take notice — both of the high-tech trucks and the rapidly improving road conditions. Aguilera admits the eye-catching machines have drawn some curious stares.
“We do get the occasional rubber-necker who stops and looks at the truck,” Aguilera said. “It’s something new, and I think people are seeing that they’re really working.”
City officials see this as more than just a convenience — it’s a game-changer for public infrastructure maintenance. With Amarillo’s freeze-thaw cycles and heavy vehicle traffic contributing to frequent road damage, the need for fast, cost-effective repairs has never been more critical.
“So far, these trucks have met and exceeded our expectations,” Hill said. “They’re not just saving us time and money — they’re making our streets safer, faster.”
