Oil Boom 2.0 effects on roads.

[BigMattFromTexas]

Texas is going through another oil boom, this time my city, San Angelo, is expected to be a hub for two oil companies. One a major corporation   from Oklahoma City is supposed to bring jobs. Supposedly the boom is supposed to bring up to 40,000 people to San Angelo in the next years. If this actually happens, this will bring the population to 134,544. Of course San Angelo is nowhere ready for this. US 87 in San Angelo is an eight lane avenue type highway; it gets swamped with truck traffic already, and is always busy. US 67 headed west of Angelo "resembles interstate traffic in the mornings and evenings.
But oil booms affect other places too, TX 158, which goes from Sterling City, TX to Midland, TX, is a nightmare with oilfield traffic. Midland is going through an EXPLOSIVE growth because of the oil boom.

The effects are not only with traffic, the biggest question is, "how long will these roads last?" The roads are going to be in horrible condition as the boom increases.
What other places are y'all aware of that are experiencing things like this?
BigMatt

[Scott5114]

North Dakota is experiencing something similar right now.

Which OKC company is it, Chesapeake, Devon, or Sonic?

[Brian556]

We had a natural gas boom here starting in Denton County about 1999. It put alot of truck traffic on FM roads. The truck traffic did not cause a conjestion problem, just a road damage problem. The trucks include includes tanker trucks, dump trucks hauling gravel, and rig moves. The standard weight limit on FM roads is 58,420. Many of these trucks (especially with rig moves) have to be 80,000+.
They did major damage to the FM roads, causing huge ruts/base failures. They also knock down stop signs and bridge object markers all the time. They are rather destructive and don't give a crap.

Oh yeah, the pollution from engines running at gas well sites in the DFW area is said to be equal to all the automobile pollution in the area.
Some of their wells are believed to be the cause of several earthquakes in the DFW area up to 3.0.

[cpzilliacus]

We had a natural gas boom here starting in Denton County about 1999. It put alot of truck traffic on FM roads. The truck traffic did not cause a conjestion problem, just a road damage problem. The trucks include includes tanker trucks, dump trucks hauling gravel, and rig moves. The standard weight limit on FM roads is 58,420. Many of these trucks (especially with rig moves) have to be 80,000+.
They did major damage to the FM roads, causing huge ruts/base failures. They also knock down stop signs and bridge object markers all the time. They are rather destructive and don't give a crap.

Oh yeah, the pollution from engines running at gas well sites in the DFW area is said to be equal to all the automobile pollution in the area.
Some of their wells are believed to be the cause of several earthquakes in the DFW area up to 3.0.

One thing that helps is more commercial vehicle enforcement (weighing, measuring and safety inspections). 

[wxfree]

Here in the Fort Worth area, I ran over a swimming pool in the road a few years back caused by gas field trucks.  It was a county road, not intended for heavy trucks.  I was going 40, the speed limit, and flew over a hole that was about 10 feet long, crossed the width of the road, and was about a foot deep.  Because of the colors of the exposed road base and dusty pavement, I didn't see it in advance.  The car landed on the other side with two very large impacts.  I was surprised nothing broke.  The roads need to be beefed up.

I've also experienced two of the earthquakes.  One was very small and caused a noise and minor single shake, and one, as I recall, was a 3.4 and shook for about 2 seconds (which is a long time when the ground is shaking).

[BigMattFromTexas]

North Dakota is experiencing something similar right now.

Which OKC company is it, Chesapeake, Devon, or Sonic?

Devon is supposed to be making San Angelo the local "hub" for the oil around here. Sonic?? Haha
BigMatt

[cjk374]

On my local weather forecast on Weather Underground (wunderground.com), it listed an earthquake in Timpson, TX occuring yesterday....a 2.6.   

I think they had a bigger quake earlier this year.

[Mergingtraffic]

. Of course San Angelo is nowhere ready for this. US 87 in San Angelo is an eight lane avenue type highway; it gets swamped with truck traffic already, and is always busy.

Consider yourself lucky, if this were CT the road would only be a two lane or 4-lane road with NO turn lanes or future improvements planned.