Eagle Ford Shale increases truck traffic, fatalities

People in Tilden nervous 'every time' they get on the road

TILDEN, Texas – It's the perfect example of a New Age boom town. 

Tilden, Texas, in McMullen county, was a small town until 2008. 

But Eagle Ford shale discoveries have had a major impact on the amount of truck traffic in the town.

"There is roughly triple the amount of traffic that we used to see, and sometimes even more than that," said County Judge James Teal.

A busy intersection, the town's sole major crossroads, is constantly filled with 18-wheelers. 

It makes locals nervous.

"We have a lot of elderly people that have lived here all their lives and I'm scared for them to come to the post office," said Postmaster Maggie Burson.

The area has seen a huge increase in traffic fatalities since the boom, no doubt in part because the roadways are so crowded.

Steps are being taken to make things safer, however. 

Two stoplights will be installed to ease traffic in town. 

The incredible amount of jobs the shale discovery has brought locally also cannot be ignored. 

So for now, it's an uneasy marriage between shale traffic and locals, both looking for a safe balance.