Texas State Highway 288

State Highway 288 (SH 288) is a northsouth highway in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Texas, between I-45 in downtown Houston and Freeport, where it terminates on FM 1495. The route was originally designated by 1939, replacing the southern portion of SH 19.

State Highway 288
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length61.03 mi[1] (98.22 km)
Existed1939–present
Major junctions
South end FM 1495 in Freeport
  Beltway 8 / Sam Houston Tollway
I-610 in Houston
I-69 / US 59 in Houston
North end I-45 in Houston
Location
CountiesBrazoria, Harris
Highway system
SH 287 SH 289

Route description

In Harris County, SH 288 is the South Freeway, a divided freeway known for having one of the widest medians of the local road system. It begins as freeway status from its northern terminus at Interstate 69/U.S. Route 59 just south of downtown southward through south Houston. It reaches an intersection with I-610 and continues south through newer subdivisions. It reaches an intersection with State Highway 6, after which it loses its freeway status. From the Harris-Brazoria County Line to Freeport, it is referred to as the Nolan Ryan Expressway, in recognition of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan who grew up in Alvin, Texas, which is not directly on this road. Brazoria County will be calling the tolled portion of the highway, located within the county, the Brazoria County Expressway.[2] North of Angleton, the route returns to freeway status passing west of Angleton, near the Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport, and around the southwestern side of Lake Jackson. It then turns southward toward Freeport. In Freeport, it is known as Brazosport Boulevard. It reaches its southern terminus at State Highway 36 on the southwest side of town.

Toll Lanes

To help alleviate congestion on SH 288, TxDOT (originally HCTRA) and BCTRA constructed toll lanes (also known as the Brazoria County Expressway) in the median of the existing freeway. The toll lanes currently begin at County Road 58 in Manvel and terminate at I-69/US 59 in Houston for a total length of 15 miles (24.1 km). A nine-mile southern extension to the proposed Grand Parkway (SH 99) is planned. The entire length of the SH 288 toll lanes will have two lanes in each direction. TxDOT has jurisdiction on the portion located in Harris County, beginning at I-69/US 59 and terminate at the Harris/Brazoria County line at Clear Creek located just north of FM 2234 for a total of 10.3 miles (16.6 km).[3] BCTRA will construct the portion located in Brazoria County in two phases. Phase 1 will be from the Harris/Brazoria County line, southward to just south of County Road 58 (Croix Road) for a total of 5 miles (8.0 km)[4] while phase 2, to be built by TxDot's Toll Operations Division, will continue southward to the Grand Parkway (TX 99) for the remaining 10.7 miles (17.2 km). Design work for the entire project began in the summer of 2015.[5] Construction on the toll lanes in Harris County began in November 2016[6] and construction of phase 1 in Brazoria County begun in June 2017.[4][2] The SH 288 toll lanes opened on November 16, 2020 and were free to use until November 30. All tolls on the facility will be collected electronically and an EZ Tag, TxTag or TollTag is required for passage.[7][8]

History

State Highway 288 was designated on September 26, 1939 as the renumbering of the portion of State Highway 19 south of downtown Houston. On August 1, 1962, SH 288 was extended to FM 1495. On June 25, 1981, SH 288 was rerouted from I-45 to MacGregor Way in Houston on the new freeway. The original routing ran southward along Almeda Road in Houston. The route traveled southward through Fresno, past the Houston Southwest Airport, before reaching Bonney. This entire portion of the route from US 90A southward was transferred to Farm to Market Road 521 and Spur 300 on December 14, 1981, as SH 288 was rerouted onto the new freeway from US 90A to Spur 300.[9] The route then traveled east through downtown Angleton, continuing southeast before reaching Freeport. This original section is now part of County Road 543 and Farm to Market Road 523. SH 288 was redirected southward from Angleton when the city of Clute became more populated, then continued southward to a new intersection with State Highway 36 west of Freeport. On November 18, 1983, SH 288 was rerouted on the new freeway from MacGregor Way to US 90A. The entire remaining section from FM 521 north of Angleton to Clute was transferred first to Texas State Highway 227 on September 26, 1986, and later Business Highway 288 on October 25, 1990 when the bypass around the western side of Lake Jackson opened. The section from Clute south to Freeport was transferred to SH 227, and the section concurrent with SH 36 became SH 36 on February 23, 1989. On August 15, 1989, SH 288 was extended south over part of SH 227 and concurrent with SH 36, restoring the lost section from Clute to Freeport.

Business routes

SH 288 has one business route.

Business State Highway 288-B (formerly SH 227) is a bypass of SH 288 through Angleton, Richwood and Clute. The route was created in 1987 as SH 227, which was redesignated as Business SH 288-B on October 25, 1990.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
BrazoriaFreeport FM 1495 Surfside Beach, Quintana County Park, Quintana Beach, Bryan Beach, Port Freeport, Brazos Harborsouth end of SH 36 overlap
SH 36 north Jones Creek, West Columbiainterchange; north end of SH 36 overlap
FM 523 north Surfside

Bus. SH 288 north / SH 332 east Clute Business District, Angleton, Surfside
interchange; south end of freeway; south end of SH 332 overlap
CluteMain Street / Contractor Road / Copper Road
Dixie Drive
Lake JacksonPlantation Drive
Oak Drive / Veterans Memorial Parkway / This Way / West WayAccess to Brazosport Memorial Hospital
SH 332 west (Oyster Creek Drive) / Abner Jackson Parkway / This Waynorth end of SH 332 overlap
FM 2004 Richwoodinterchange; north end of freeway
Angleton CR 220 (Coale Road) Brazoria Airportinterchange; south end of freeway
CR 290 (S Walker Street)southbound exit and northbound entrance
SH 35 Angleton, West Columbia, Bay City
CR 44 (Anchor Road)
FM 523 Alvin, Angletoninterchange
CR 45at-grade intersection; north end of freeway

Bus. SH 288 to FM 521 Rosharon, Angleton
interchange
CR 48at-grade intersection
CR 51 (Cannon Road)at-grade intersection
FM 1462 Rosharon, Alvininterchange
CR 60 to CR 62 Iowa Colonyat-grade intersection; The CR 60 intersection is the future TX 99 (Grand Parkway) intersection
CR 61 / CR 62 / CR 63at-grade intersection
Iowa Colony CR 64 (Airline Road No.3 E)at-grade intersection
CR 56 (Meridiana Parkway)interchange
Iowa Colony CR 57 westat-grade intersection
CR 57 eastat-grade intersection
CR 48 (Old Airline Road) Iowa Colonyright-in/right-out intersections
Manvel SH 6 Alvin, Sugar Landinterchange
CR 58interchange; south end of freeway
SH 288 Toll (Brazoria County Expressway)South end of SH 288 Toll Lanes
CR 101 (Bailey Road / Pomona Parkway)
Pearland CR 59 (Southfork Drive)
FM 518 Pearland
Discovery Bay Drive / Hughes Ranch RoadInterchange for Brazoria County Expressway only; southbound exit and northbound entrance
FM 2234 (Shadow Creek Parkway / Mc Hard Road)No northbound entrance (closed until March 2021)
Harris Beltway 8 (Frontage Road) / Sam Houston Tollway
HoustonAlmeda-Genoa Road
Orem Drive
Airport Boulevard
Reed Road
Bellfort Avenue/Holmes RoadNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
I-610I-610 exit 38A westbound, 38A-C eastbound
Holly Hall Street/Mainer Street

Alt. US 90 (Old Spanish Trail) / Yellowstone Boulevard / Holcombe Boulevard
Holcombe Boulevard - Texas Medical CenterInterchange for Brazoria County Expressway only; northbound exit and southbound entrance
South MacGregor Way / North MacGregor Way - Texas Medical Center
Binz Street / Calumet Streetsouthbound exit is via Southmore Boulevard exit
Southmore Boulevard / Blodgett Street / Wheeler Avenue
SH 288 Toll (Brazoria County Expressway)North end of SH 288 Toll Lanes
I-69 / US 59 Cleveland, Victoriano access from SH 288 south to I-69/US 59 north or I-69/US 59 south to SH 288 north, I-69/US 59 exit 128B
Elgin Avenue / Tuam Avenue / McGowen Streetnorthbound exit and southbound entrance
Chenevert Streetnorthbound exit and southbound entrance
I-45 Dallas, Galveston, IAH Airport, Hobby Airportnorthbound exit and southbound entrance; northern terminus; I-45 exits 46A-B
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  1. TxDOT - Toll Operations Division

References

  1. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 288". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
  2. "Brazoria County Expressway".
  3. "Drive288 Project Details". Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  4. "Brazoria County awards bid for Expressway construction". City of Pearland. May 3, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  5. "Design work to begin on Texas 288 toll lanes". Brazoria County. January 29, 2014.
  6. "Construction begins on Highway 288 expansion". Harris County. November 15, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  7. Fresh drive: This is what the new 288 toll road looks like for one of the first drivers Click2Houston.com (KPRC-TV) Published on November 12, 2020, and updated on November 16, 2020 (Retrieved 22 November 2020)
  8. "Drive288 FAQ". Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  9. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Farm to Market Road No. 521". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation.
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