State Highway 288 (SH 288) is a north–south 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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 SH 288; mainline in red, business route in blue | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Length | 60.01 mi[1][a] (96.58 km) | |||
| Existed | 1939–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |   SH 36 / FM 1495 in Freeport | |||
| North end |  I-45 in Houston | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Texas | |||
| Counties | Brazoria, Harris | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route description
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SH 288 begins in Freeport at the intersection with Farm to Market Road 1495, running concurrent with SH 36. It runs northwesterly along the Nolan Ryan Expressway up to an interchange south of Freeport where it separates from SH 36. It runs north along Brazosport Boulevard and becomes a freeway approaching the west end of SH 332 and SH 288 Business. It runs through Lake Jackson and up to the west side of Angleton, near the Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport. It then continues north, intersecting SH 6 near Iowa Colony and then enters Harris County, interchanging with the Sam Houston Tollway and then I-610. It enters Houston running next to Interstate 69/U.S. Route 59 before it reaches its northern terminus at Interstate 45. From Freeport to the Harris–Brazoria county line, 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]
Toll lanes
editTo help alleviate congestion on SH 288, four toll lanes (two in each direction) were constructed in the median of the freeway. The lanes 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). The lanes utilize open road tolling through the EZ TAG system. Construction of the lanes began on November 15, 2016,[3] and they were opened on November 16, 2020.[4]
The 10.7 miles (17.2 km) of express lanes in Harris County, dubbed Drive288, were constructed via a public–private partnership between the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Blueridge Transportation Group, a consortium of six construction companies later purchased by ACS Group. As part of the partnership, Blueridge was permitted to collect toll revenue on their segment until 2068, as well as set toll rates. However, in 2024, TxDOT exercised an option to terminate the partnership early and revert the segment to state control.[5]
The 5.2 miles (8.4 km) of express lanes in Brazoria County, dubbed the Brazoria County Expressway, are operated by the county government through the Brazoria County Toll Road Authority (BCTRA).[2] BCTRA has proposed a second phase of the project, which will stretch about 10 miles (16 km) south to a planned extension of Grand Parkway (SH 99) in Rosharon.[2][6]
History
editState 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 90 Alt. 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 90 Alt. to Spur 300.[7] 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 90 Alt. 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.
Major intersections
editAll exits are unnumbered.
| County | Location | mi[8] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazoria | Freeport | 0.0 | 0.0 | FM 1495 – Port Freeport, Brazos Harbor | Southern termini of SH 288/SH 36; south end of SH 36 overlap |
| 1.3 | 2.1 |  SH 36 north – Jones Creek, West Columbia | Interchange; north end of SH 36 overlap | ||
| 3.5 | 5.6 |  FM 523 north / Gulf Boulevard – Surfside | |||
| | 5.5 | 8.9 | Frontage Road | South end of freeway; northbound exit and southbound entrance | |
| Lake Jackson | 5.7 | 9.2 |     Bus. SH 288-B north / SH 332 east – Clute Business District, Angleton, Surfside | South end of SH 332 overlap | |
| Lake Jackson–Clute line | 6.9 | 11.1 | Main Street / Contractor Road / Copper Road | ||
| 7.7 | 12.4 | Dixie Drive | |||
| Lake Jackson | 9.0 | 14.5 | Plantation Drive | ||
| 10.3 | 16.6 |  Oak Drive / Veterans Memorial Parkway / This Way / West Way | Access to Brazosport Memorial Hospital | ||
| 11.2 | 18.0 |  SH 332 west (Oyster Creek Drive) / Abner Jackson Parkway / This Way | North end of SH 332 overlap | ||
| 12.2 | 19.6 |  FM 2004 – Richwood | |||
| Angleton | 16.7 | 26.9 |  County Road 220 – Brazoria Airport | ||
| 18.5 | 29.8 | County Road 290 | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
| 19.3 | 31.1 |  SH 35 – Angleton, West Columbia, Bay City | |||
| 20.8 | 33.5 | County Road 44 | Southbound access via FM 523 exit and Frontage Road | ||
| 21.5 | 34.6 | FM 523 – Alvin, Angleton | North end of freeway | ||
| | 26.0 | 41.8 |    Bus. SH 288 to FM 521 – Rosharon, Angleton | Interchange | |
| | 32.6 | 52.5 |  FM 1462 – Rosharon, Alvin | Interchange | |
| |  SH 99 Toll (Grand Parkway) | Proposed interchange | |||
| | 34 | 55 | County Road 60 (Schovajsa Road) | Future interchange | |
| Iowa Colony | 36.7 | 59.1 | County Road 63 (Airline Road Number 2) | Future interchange | |
| 37.7 | 60.7 | County Road 64 (Davenport Parkway) | Future interchange | ||
| 38.7 | 62.3 | County Road 56 (Meridiana Parkway) | Interchange | ||
| 39.7 | 63.9 | County Road 57 (Cedar Rapids Parkway) | Future interchange | ||
| 41.1 | 66.1 | County Road 48 (Iowa Colony Boulevard) | Right-in/right-out; no access to or from SH 288 southbound (CR 48 cut off from SH 288); future interchange | ||
| Manvel | 41.0 | 66.0 |  SH 6 – Alvin, Sugar Land | Interchange | |
| 43.5 | 70.0 | Del Bello Boulevard | Right-in/right-out; future interchange | ||
| 44.4 | 71.5 | County Road 58 | South end of freeway | ||
| 45.0 | 72.4 |   SH 288 Toll begins (Brazoria County Expressway) | South end of SH 288 Toll Lanes | ||
| 45.6 | 73.4 | County Road 101 (Bailey Road / Pomona Parkway) | |||
| Pearland | 46.5 | 74.8 | Magnolia Parkway | Formerly Southfork Drive | |
| 47.1 | 75.8 |  FM 518 (Broadway Street) | Former FM 3344 | ||
| Hughes Ranch Road / Discovery Bay Drive | Access from Toll Lanes only; southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||||
| Brazoria–Harris county line | 48.4 | 77.9 |  FM 2234 (Shadow Creek Parkway) / McHard Road | ||
| Harris | 50.2 | 80.8 |  Sam Houston Tollway | Northbound left exit and southbound left entrance | |
| Pearland–Houston line | 50.4 | 81.1 |  Beltway 8 (Frontage Road) | ||
| Sam Houston Tollway | Access from Toll Lanes only; southbound right exit and northbound right entrance | ||||
| Houston | 51.6 | 83.0 | Almeda-Genoa Road | ||
| 52.6 | 84.7 | Orem Drive | |||
| 53.6 | 86.3 | Airport Boulevard | |||
| 54.5 | 87.7 | Reed Road | |||
| 55.4 | 89.2 | Bellfort Avenue / Holmes Road | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| 55.7 | 89.6 |  I-610 | I-610 exit 38A westbound, 38A-C eastbound | ||
| 57.0 | 91.7 | Holly Hall Street | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
| 57.6 | 92.7 |   US 90 Alt. (Old Spanish Trail) / Yellowstone Boulevard / Holcombe Boulevard | |||
| Holcombe Boulevard west – Texas Medical Center | Access from Toll Lanes only; northbound right exit and southbound right entrance | ||||
| 58.5 | 94.1 | South MacGregor Way / North MacGregor Way – Texas Medical Center, Houston Zoo | |||
| 58.9 | 94.8 | Binz Street / Calumet Street | Southbound access via Southmore Boulevard exit; no northbound exit (closed until December 2024), access is via Southmore Boulevard exit | ||
 SH 288 Toll south | Southbound exit only | ||||
| 59.3 | 95.4 | Southmore Boulevard / Blodgett Street | |||
| 60.1 | 96.7 |    I-69 south / US 59 south – Victoria | I-69 exits 128/129A northbound | ||
| 60.2 | 96.9 |  I-69 north / US 59 north / Elgin Avenue / Tuam Avenue – Cleveland | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; I-69 exit 128B | ||
 SH 288 Toll ends (Brazoria County Expressway) | North end of SH 288 Toll Lanes; northbound entrance only | ||||
| 60.3 | 97.0 | Chenevert Street – Downtown Houston | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| 61.1 | 98.3 | I-45 – Dallas, Galveston, IAH, Hobby Airport | Northern terminus; I-45 exits 46A-B | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
Business route
edit  Business State Highway 288-B | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lake Jackson-Bonney |
| Length | 20.271 mi[9] (32.623 km) |
| Existed | 1990–present |
SH 288 has one business route.
Business State Highway 288-B (Bus. SH 288) 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.[10][9]
Major junctions
editThe entire route is in Brazoria County.
| Location | mi[11] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Jackson | 0.00 | 0.00 | SH 288 south | Southern terminus | |
| Clute |  SH 322 east – Surfside | Interchange | |||
| SH 322 west / SH 288 north – Lake Jackson | Interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||||
| 1.5 | 2.4 | Whitten Street | Partial interchange via northbound exit ramp and connector road southbound; no northbound entrance | ||
| 1.6 | 2.6 | Wilson Road / Leder Street / Mockingbird Street | Partial interchange via northbound entrance ramp and connector road southbound; no northbound exit | ||
| Richwood | 5.5 | 8.9 | FM 2004 – Santa Fe | ||
| Angleton | 11.2– 11.4 | 18.0– 18.3 |  Loop 274 north | Interchange; southern terminus of Loop 274; northbound left exit and southbound left entrance; serves as a bypass of downtown Angleton | |
| 11.8 | 19.0 | SH 35 – Bay City, Alvin | |||
| 12.6 | 20.3 | Loop 274 south | Northern terminus of Loop 274 | ||
| 14.4 | 23.2 | FM 523 / SH 35 Byp. | |||
| | 18.6 | 29.9 | SH 288 – Houston, Lake Jackson | Interchange | |
| | 20.3 | 32.7 | FM 521 – Houston, Brazoria | Northern terminus | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
Notes
edit- ^ The certified mileage given is shorter than the actual mileage as TxDOT considers SH 288 to be discontinuous at rather than concurrent with SH 36.
References
edit- ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 288". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
- ^ a b c "Project". Brazoria County Toll Road Authority. Brazoria County, Texas.
- ^ "Construction begins on Highway 288 expansion". Click2Houston (KPRC-TV). Graham Media Group. 2016-11-15. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
- ^ Begley, Dug (2020-11-19). "Toll lanes along Texas 288 open today, just in time for growing traffic demand". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Communications.
- ^ Lee, Josephine (2024-10-09). "Texas Is Taking Back the State Highway 288 Tollway—at a Steep Price". The Texas Observer. Texas Democracy Foundation. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ DeLapp, John (2022-09-21). "Brazoria County leaders hope to extend Texas 288 toll road south to reach Meridiana". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Communications.
- ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Farm to Market Road No. 521". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation.
- ^ "Overview Map of SH 288" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Business State Highway No. 288-B". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
- ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 227". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
- ^ "Overview of Bus. SH 288". Google Maps. Google, Inc. Retrieved June 16, 2021.