Road usage in western North Dakota has changed considerably over time. Interstate, highway, and low volume unpaved roads have been used with greater frequency because of increased agricultural production and a growing energy sector. This evolution is especially evident in a 17-county region that encompasses a geographic formation where oil extraction methods have recently improved production economics. Roads once used only for local access and agricultural purposes are now being used at high volumes to serve energy interests, especially expanding oil production. Oil companies, oil workers, commercial trucks, and industrial equipment associated with oil and gas development all use these roads to access their oil drilling and production sites. This has led to not only an increase in the traffic volume, but an increase in the number of over-weight and oversized vehicles on the road as well. The result is that a number of roads are in poor condition with many others deteriorating rapidly. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting