First-ever traffic signal

Yesterday we announced, formally, the activation of new traffic signals on state Highway 16 in Tilden.

Not until Tim Delaney, editor of The Progress in Three Rivers, pointed out these are the first full-blown signals in McMullen County did the significance of the announcement really sink in. With this in mind, we took a drive to Tilden to see these new signals first-hand and celebrate the hard work by the TxDOT crews who built them.

Prior to these two signals, flashing traffic beacons were used to caution traffic of the intersections. TxDOT does not consider these flashing beacons to be traffic-controlling signals.


This signal, at the corner of SH 16 and SH72S in Tilden, was activated last week and features the first electronic pedestrian signals in the county.


Since 2008, just five crashes have been recorded at the south intersection, or the intersection at "downtown" Tilden. Only a few more have occurred at the north intersection - host to the area's local "truck stop". None of those crashes have been fatal.

This low number of crashes is to expected when the county population of just 700 is considered. However, this project was still motivated by safety.



This SH 16-SH 72N signal, viewed from the McMullen County Community Center, was activated late 2012 - and is the first full traffic signal in McMullen County

The fact is most of the traffic at these intersections - more than half, if the half-hour of personal observation earlier today is any indication - is truck traffic related to the Eagle Ford Shale boom. While crash counts are already low, we want to keep things that way.

Call it an appropriate desire to maintain the status quo.

And that's why this one-horse town was elevated to an official stop on the map. That's why Tilden is home to McMullen County's very first full traffic signals - to continue a record of safety that may very well be unmatched by any other county seat in the great state of Texas.