By William R. Stockton Your car’s next tank of gas is on its way to you. You can be assured of that, even though the journey it takes to get there is a sometimes arduous one. That journey could begin at one of hundreds of active oil wells in Texas, located predominantly in remote rural […]
energy development
TTI Researchers Identify Research Needs Resulting from Energy Boom
With all the positive impacts associated with Texas’ most recent oil boom, there are numerous challenges faced by communities and motorists. Researchers with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) are identifying those challenges in hopes of initiating research projects that will lead to solutions. A series of free workshops will take place this month in […]
Research Is Another Resource Texans Can Rely On
Texas is a resource-rich state. Blessed with oil and natural gas reserves, Texas has been a principal supplier of natural resources for the nation for more than a century. Although resource development is always welcome — and a boon to the state’s economy — planning for it can be challenging. New discoveries of oil and […]
Filling In Knowledge Potholes: TTI Correlates Trends in Energy Developments and Pavement Conditions
The truth is, nobody likes potholes. But when you’re responsible for the integrity of your roadways, finding the funds to proactively plan maintenance is difficult when limited resources are already stretched to the limit. Add to that challenge new energy developments bringing hundreds of heavy trucks to two-lane roads, and it doesn’t take long for […]
A Recipe for Road Rehabilitation
Roads in South and West Texas are taking a pounding from energy-sector traffic. The affected roads are most often narrow farm-to-market (FM) roads with thin-asphalt surfaces. They’re now carrying 20 to 50 times more truck traffic than they were designed for. Weigh-in-motion data indicate that many of these trucks are also overloaded. The Texas Department […]
TxDOT, TTI Team Up to Address Roadway Damage Resulting from Energy Development
The energy sector is having a dramatic positive economic impact on Texas and the nation. But many Texas roadways have experienced accelerated pavement degradation due to heavy truck loads and increased traffic. An interagency agreement between the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) seeks to give districts the necessary […]
Sharing Information Is Key to Solving Transportation Problems
Workshop Facilitates Information Sharing Among State, Local Agencies The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) hosted the Transportation and Energy Sector Development Workshop on May 6–7, 2014, in Arlington, Texas. The workshop was co-sponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Upper Great Plains Transportation […]
Looking for Lessons Learned: TTI Examines Strategies Other States Use to Cope with Energy Development
One way or the other, the oil and gas industry seems to be ever-present in the minds of Texans. Through last summer, oil prices over $100 per barrel were fueling a boom in drilling activity across the state, especially in the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale formations. Texas was supporting 48 percent of all […]
Designing and Maintaining Tougher Roadways for Texas
Oil and gas production has increased dramatically in Texas in recent years, and every indication is that this trend will continue into the foreseeable future. The state now has 48 percent of all active drilling rigs in the United States. Many of these rigs are in the Eagle Ford Shale play in South Texas. Recent […]
Energy Developments and Our Roadways: Impacts and Strategies
In recent years, there has been a boom of energy-related activities in Texas, but many short- and long-term impacts on the state’s right-of-way and infrastructure are not properly documented.
Energy Developments and Our Roadways: Impacts and Strategies
In recent years, there has been a boom of energy-related activities in Texas. While these efforts enhance the state’s ability to produce energy reliably, many short- and long-term impacts on the state’s right of way and infrastructure are not properly documented. The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) recently completed a project to document some of these […]