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Permian Infrastructure The Permian Basin has a growing economy and workforce, and more families are relocating there for new opportunities. Transportation volumes are growing and demand is increasing for basic services, yet the existing infrastructure is strained and requires significant investment. The Permian Basin spans 86,000 square miles with over 17,000 centerline miles of road and highway running through it. Safe, well-built roads are essential for millions of Americans to travel to work or school each day, and for businesses to transport goods and services that drive the economy. However, most roads in the Permian Basin were built decades ago and designed for light use across smaller communities. Economic activity has dramatically increased roadway use, and as more large trucks and vehicles travel through the area each day, the existing infrastructure is not only insufficient, but unsafe.
Hydraulic fracturing has unlocked great reserves, improving energy security and stability for the U.S. However, horizontal drilling requires the increased use of heavy vehicles, stressing Permian roadways. For each horizontal well, roughly 4,000 to 7,000 truck trips are needed over 45 to 75 days.20 The Permian Basin peaked at 568 rigs in fall of 2014, requiring more than 3.8 million trips. Rig counts dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic but have rebounded. The total rig count on July 15, 2022 was 350 and is expected to continue rising. To support this growth, existing Permian infrastructure requires improvement. The growing population is leading to increased traffic on Permian roadways, which has caused a spike in fatal and serious-injury crashes. However, recent improvements made possible by the Texas Department of Transportation’s Permian Promise program and increased awareness in the Permian Basin are beginning
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Annual F atalities
Rig Count
TX + NM Fatal Crashes
600
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Rig Count
Rig Count vs. Fatal Crashes
