Gas Drilling Industry Takes Care of Roads in PA

| | |

The drilling industry in Pennsylvania is working hard to ensure roadways are maintained and in good condition, and according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), it shows.

Last year, as winter arrived in Pennsylvania, there were about 400 miles of roads in the commonwealth with major damage caused at least partially by heavy vehicle traffic generated by drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

This year, there are only about 10 such miles of damage, according to Scott Christie, PennDOT’s deputy secretary for highway administration.

“That number shows PennDOT, contractors and the Marcellus industry are working far better as a team to make sure roads stay in good shape, or if they don’t stay in good shape, to fix them very quickly,” he said.

Christie was in State College to speak at the third Marcellus Transportation Safety Day at The Penn State Conference Center Hotel. So was Kathryn Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, which organized the event. She said the gas industry had spent more than $400 million fixing Pennsylvania roads.

“We’re going into this winter season much more prepared, and that’s in large part due to greater collaboration between (PennDOT) districts and our own operators,” Klaber said.*

*State College Centre Daily Times (Sep 23, 2011) – PennDOT: Natural gas drilling industry minding the roads