TxDOT says it needs to spend $569 million to improve Eagle Ford roadways, according to a presentation released by the agency.
Related: Eagle Ford County Roads a Mess
In small towns all across the Eagle Ford, oil and gas activity has left a mess of the county roads system. Poor road conditions, increased traffic and heavy equipment brought on by the oil boom have contributed to the unsafe conditions.
In March, TxDOT began a new initiative to address these issues state-wide in hopes to provide safety enhancements on roadways across the state’s energy regions.
The improvements will include:
- Strengthening pavement structures
- Adding shoulders to protect pavement edges
- Adding turn lanes at key intersections
- Constructing passing lanes on Super 2 corridors
Eagle Ford Shale corridor priorities include:
- SH 97 (LRD, SAT, YKM)
- SH 72 (CRP, YKM)
- US 83 (LRD, SAT)
- US 59 (LRD, CRP, YKM)
- SH 16 (SAT, LRD)
- SH 85 (LRD, SAT)
- US 183 (CRP, YKM)
- US181/SH123 (CRP, SAT)
Roads in the Eagle Ford Shale are under intense pressure from the huge volumes of truck traffic that are regularly running up and down South Texas highways – literally hundreds of trips per day in many cases. And, often, the counties have not been able to keep up with the problems caused by the increased volume.