Pottawatomie County Tests New Pothole Repair Method Using Bullet Blades

The Pottawatomie County Public Works Department has implemented a new approach to repairing potholes and deteriorated road surfaces, with initial efforts showing promising results in Blue Township.

During Monday's County Commission meeting, Public Works Director Tim Eisenbarth detailed the new maintenance method, which utilizes specialized "bullet blades" attached to motor graders instead of traditional cut edges.

"We took one of our spare blades and we had one of our spare operators go through and work on potholes and any issues throughout the road," Eisenbarth explained. "A lot of those areas was down in Blue Township, but they ended up covering a good portion of the county."

According to Eisenbarth, the key difference with the bullet blades is their design. Unlike conventional solid cutting edges, these blades feature independently moving "bullets" across the entire 16-foot moldboard.

"What that does is it pulverizes that surface. So we get rid of the washboard surfaces and the pot holes," Eisenbarth said.

The department followed the blade work with a water truck to recompact the loosened material. This two-operator system—one running the grader with bullet blades and one operating the water truck—traveled throughout the county targeting problem areas.

Eisenbarth noted the new method appears particularly effective in Blue Township, though he indicated the higher traffic volume there would necessitate more frequent treatments.

"We would probably have to do it probably once a month, but in other areas with lesser traffic, it seemed to work really good on the washboard surfaces," he said.

The bullet blade method represents part of the department's ongoing efforts to identify more effective road maintenance techniques for the county's extensive rural road network.