Pothole repair machines used to clear flood water from Shropshire’s roads

A Multihog clearing flood water

The Multihog machines normally used to repair Shropshire’s potholes helped to clear the county’s roads of thousands of litres of water during the floods earlier this month.

The Multevo Hydrovo – a Multihog with a water pump fitted that runs on zero emission hydrogen and hydro carbonated vegetable oil – can shift 6000 litres of pump water per minute.

During the floods it was used around the clock in locations including Sydney Avenue, Frankwell, Roushill (pictured) and the road between Atcham and Cross Houses.

Flood water being cleared in Roushill, Shrewsbury

The Multihog was switched from its usual road repair operation, and fitted with a bespoke flood water pump to clear water at various locations across the county. It operated day and night to minimise disruption to road users and provide an efficient clean-up process.

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Richard Marshall, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways, said

“With Shropshire liable to yearly flooding due to the rising levels of the River Severn, it’s essential to have an adaptable approach to maintaining our roads and keeping them open. During the recent floods Multevo were called in with their multi-purpose zero-emission Hydrovo, to respond to the rising flood water.

“As a Multihog the Hydrovo would usually be dealing with potholes and defects on the county’s road network. But, very quickly we can adapt that piece of kit to support with flooding by pumping water off the roads. It’s a big part of our flood resilience due to its performance and flexibility.”

Last year, Shropshire Council, Multevo and Kier transformed the Barnabas Community Church’s 360 garden in Shrewsbury by excavating the worn and uneven surface and replacing with fresh tarmac, kerbings, and edgings to make the space more accessible and safer for visitors.

The work aimed to provide a permanent solution to the damage caused to the garden by yearly floods. Following the recent flooding, the garden is still intact, with the tarmac making a huge difference.

A Multihog treating potholes in south Shropshire

Rednal based Multevo has worked collaboratively with Shropshire Council since March 2021, delivering enhanced patching, traffic management and emergency response provisions.