Texas State Highway 87

State Highway 87 (SH 87) runs for 249.4 miles (401.4 km) between Galveston, Texas (at a terminus shared with Interstate 45 and Spur 342) to U.S. Highway 59 and U.S. Highway 84 in Timpson, Texas.

State Highway 87 marker
State Highway 87
Map
SH 87 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length249.39 mi[1] (401.35 km)
Existed1923–present
Major junctions
South end I-45 in Galveston
Major intersections
North end
Future I-69 / US 59 / US 84 at Timpson
Location
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
Highway system
US 87 SH 88

Highway 87 has a notable stretch between Sea Rim State Park and High Island, Texas that has been washed out repeatedly over the decades and has been closed continuously since 1990.[2] Portions of this stretch were less than 100 feet (30 m) away from high tide in the 1990s. The storm surge from Hurricane Jerry which made landfall on October 15, 1989, left the highway in a state of disrepair.

In 2018, a repair project was started by the Texas Department of Transportation to raise the elevation of the segment from Rollover Pass to High Island by 2.5 feet, with the goal of keeping the roadway passable during high tides. The project has an estimated cost of $20.8 million.[3] There is also a separate project, begun in 2022, to rehabilitate the dunes on Bolivar Peninsula to mitigate the erosion caused by the tides.[4]

A section of highway which is now known as the Warden Michael C. Pauling[5] Memorial Highway stretches from the Intracoastal Waterway Bridge to Sabine Pass on Texas 87.[6]

History

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SH 87 approaching Gilchrist with damage from Hurricane Ike

SH 87 was originally designated on August 21, 1923[7] from Orange to Milam. The route was the previously proposed to be SH 8A before being renumbered. On September 16, 1926, SH 87 was extended to Port Arthur, though this was not taken over for maintenance until January 1, 1927.[8] An extension via High Island to Galveston was planned to be taken over when TxDOT could afford it. On March 19, 1930, the north end was shortened to Hemphill. On August 1, 1930, SH 87 extended back to Milam, replacing SH 21 Spur. On May 5, 1931, it was extended again, this time to High Island.[9] On November 22, 1933, SH 87 extended to Carter's Store.[10] On March 17, 1936, SH 87 replaced the section of SH 124 from High Island to Galveston.[11] On December 22, 1936, SH 87 was extended to its current terminus in Timpson.[12] On May 23, 1939, SH 87 Spur was designated to Wiergate.[13] On September 26, 1939, The spurs were changed to Spur 24 (Wiergate) and Spur 69 (Deweyville). On August 20, 1952, SH 87 was no longer concurrent with US 96 from Center to Carter's Store. In 1970, road machinery used in its construction accidentally dug up several cannonballs and crumbling kegs of black powder about 10 miles west of Sabine Pass. Further excavation eventually produced more kegs of black powder and several hundred cannonballs. The ammunition had been buried there by Confederate soldiers in what were the ditches of Fort Manhassett in 1865. Fort Manhassett was a series of earthworks constructed by the Confederacy in 1863 to defend the western approaches to Sabine Pass.[14] On January 28, 1987, SH 87 was extended 4.1 miles west to Spur 342, replacing a section of US 75, which was decommissioned south of Dallas.

On November 19, 1926, a spur, SH 87A was designated from Bronson to Hemphill. On March 19, 1930, this route was erroneously omitted from the state highway log. On November 30, 1932, this road was added back to the state highway log, but was renumbered as SH 184. Another SH 87A was designated on November 19, 1928, from Deweyville to Louisiana. This was redesignated as Spur 69 on September 26, 1939.

Failed bridge proposal

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Two ferry routes, and up to five ferries, currently operate on Galveston Bay, taking passengers from Port Bolivar to Galveston Island. Because of increasing traffic, especially during summer months, TxDOT was studying the possibility of building a bridge to connect Galveston Island or Pelican Island to the Bolivar Peninsula; however, the decision was made not to build the bridge.

Major intersections

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CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
GalvestonGalveston0.00.0 
 
 
 
  I-45 north / Spur 342 south (61st Street) / 71st Street – Houston, Scholes International Airport
4.77.6 
 
SH 275 west (Harborside Drive / truck route)
5.08.0 
 
SH 168 north
5.6–
8.2
9.0–
13.2
  Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry
Bolivar Peninsula9.315.0 
 
Loop 108 north – Port Bolivar
11.919.2 
 
Loop 108 south
35.557.1 
 
SH 124 north
Gap in route
JeffersonMcFaddin National Wildlife Refuge
  PR 69 – Sea Rim State Park
Sabine Pass 
 
FM 3322 east – USCG
Port Arthurbridge over Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
  SH 82 – Houston, Cameron, Galveston
 
 
Spur 215 north (Savannah Avenue)
 
 
 
 
 
 
US 69 north / US 96 north / US 287 north (Woodworth Boulevard)
Southern terminus of US 69/US 96/US 287
 
 
SH 347 north (Jefferson Drive)
 
 
SH 73 west / Taft Avenue / Procter Street
interchange; south end of SH 73 overlap
  FM 366 – Groves, Port Nechesinterchange
Neches RiverVeterans Memorial Bridge / Rainbow Bridge
OrangeBridge City 
 
FM 1442 north
Cow BayouCow Bayou Swing Bridge
 
 
 
 
 
 
SH 62 north / SH 73 east to I-10 – Mauriceville
north end of SH 73 overlap
 
 
FM 1006 east
Orange  
 
 
 
FM 105 to SH 62 / FM 1006 – West Orange
 
 
 
 
 
Bus. US 90 west to I-10 – Pinehurst
south end of US 90 Bus. overlap
 
 
 
Bus. US 90 east (West Green Avenue) – Lamar State College, Museums, Theaters
north end of US 90 Bus. overlap
  I-10 (US 90) – Lake CharlesI-10 exit 877
 
 
FM 3247 north
south end of FM 3247 overlap
 
 
FM 3247 south – Little Cypress
north end of FM 3247 overlap
Newton  SH 12 – Beaumont, Deweyville
  FM 253 – Buna
 
 
FM 2829 east – Old Salem
 
 
FM 1416 north – Bon Wier
Trout Creek 
 
 
 
FM 1004 south to US 96
 
 
 
 
FM 2460 east to FM 1416
Bleakwood  FM 363 – Kirbyville, Bon Wier
 
 
FM 2939 west
Newton 
 
Loop 505 north – Newton
  US 190 – Jasper, Newton, Deridder
 
 
Loop 505 south – Newton
 
 
 
 
FM 2626 south to US 190
 
 
 
 
FM 1414 north to SH 63
 
 
 
 
FM 1415 north to SH 63 – Shankleville
Burkeville  SH 63 – Jasper, Leesville
 
 
FM 1415 south – Wiergate
Mayflower  
 
RE 255 to US 96 – Toledo Bend Dam
Sabine 
 
FM 3315 east
 
 
FM 2928 east
Yellowpine 
 
FM 2343 south
 
 
FM 2426 west – Pineland
Hemphill 
 
FM 944 east
 
 
FM 83 west
south end of FM 83 overlap
 
 
SH 184 west
 
 
FM 83 east
north end of FM 83 overlap
Milam  SH 21 – San Augustine, Many
Isla 
 
FM 276 east (Carters Ferry Road) – Toledo Bend Reservoir
Sexton 
 
FM 330 south – Geneva
Shelby 
 
FM 353 west – San Augustine
 
 
FM 1279 west
Patroon 
 
FM 2261 east – East Hamilton
 
 
FM 139 south – East Liberty
south end of FM 139 overlap
 
 
FM 139 north – Strong, Ragtown Recreation Area
north end of FM 139 overlap
 
 
SH 147 south – San Augustine
Shelbyville 
 
FM 417 west
south end of FM 417 overlap
 
 
FM 417 east – Huxley
north end of FM 417 overlap
 
 
FM 414 east
Center  
 
 
 
Loop 500 to US 96 / SH 7 – San Augustine, Shelby College Center
  
 
SH 7 (San Augustine Street / Cora Street) / FM 699 north (Logansport Street)
traffic circle around Shelby County Courthouse
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
US 96 (Hurst Street / Tenaha Street) to Loop 500 / SH 7 / SH 87 south – San Augustine, Tenaha
 
 
FM 1645 south
south end of FM 1645 overlap
 
 
FM 1645 north
north end of FM 1645 overlap
 
 
FM 415 south – Silas, Stockman
Timpson  Spur 470 (Bear Drive)
   US 59 / US 84 (Future I-69)U.S. 59/U.S. 84 are the future Interstate 69
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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  1. ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 87". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 22, 2006.
  2. ^ "TexasFreeway > Statewide > Photo Gallery > Texas 87 Closed".
  3. ^ SH 87 - FROM ROLLOVER PASS TO NORTH OF SH 124 ON BOLIVAR, Texas Department of Transportation https://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/hou/bolivar-sh87.pdf
  4. ^ "Bolivar Peninsula Beach & Dune Restoration Design and Engineering Project". www.glo.texas.gov. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  5. ^ "Slain Texas Game Warden Memorialized in Highway Dedication". Game Warden Education. December 14, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  6. ^ "House Bill 1963" (PDF). State of Texas. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  7. ^ "A791" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation. August 21, 1923. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  8. ^ "A791" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  9. ^ "A791" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  10. ^ "A791" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  11. ^ "A791" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  12. ^ "A791" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  13. ^ "A791" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  14. ^ Fort Manhassett: A Forgotten Chapter in the History of Sabine Pass, Texas
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