On January 15, another fiery crash took the lives of five oil field workers in Dimmet county. This latest tragedy, involving a crude oil tanker truck, highlights the serious roadway issues that have plagued the Eagle Ford and Permian Basin over the past couple of years.
Poor road conditions, increased traffic and heavy equipment brought on by the oil boom contribute to the unsafe conditions. 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.
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“In the Eagle Ford Shale energy sector, a 26-county region that stretches from Laredo to Madisonville, TxDOT crash reports indicate there were 3,450 traffic crashes that resulted in serious injuries or fatalities in 2013, an increase of 7 percent over the previous year. The result was 238 traffic fatalities in the region in 2013.”
Over the summer, TxDOT launched a public education campaign designed specifically for motorists who frequent roadways heavily used by energy workers. The ‘Be Safe. Drive Smart.’ campaign promotes roadway safety and is being heavily marketed on radio, TV and billboards across the Eagle Ford and Permian Basin. This initiative is in response to the increased in traffic problems, crashes and fatalities in the area since the oil boom began.
Be Safe. Drive Smart. is the latest TxDot campaign to bring roadway improvement to the Eagle Ford. Since 2013, the agency spent almost $8 million for road repairs in Dimmit and Maverick Counties. They have also built new passing lanes to increase safety, bringing the number to five on US 277 from Eagle Pass to Carizzo Springs and another nine lanes on US- 83 from I-35 to Carizzo Springs.
Read more at txdot.gov