State Highway 288, or 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.
Route description[edit]
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 US Route 59 just south of downtown southward through south Houston. It reaches an intersection with I-610 and continues south through newer-built 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. 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.
Proposed Toll Road[edit]
To help alleviate congestion on SH 288, HCTRA plans to construct toll lanes in the median of the existing freeway in the Greater Houston area. The route will begin at US 59 just south of Midtown and terminate at the intersection of the proposed Grand Parkway (SH 99) for a total length of 26 miles (41.8 km). The entire length of the project will have 4 lanes with interchanges at IH-610 and at Beltway 8. Construction is estimated to begin in 2012.[2]
History[edit]
State Highway 288 was designated in 1939 as the renumbering of the portion of State Highway 19 south of downtown Houston. The original routing ran southward along Almeda Avenue in Houston. The route traveled southward through Fresno, past the Houston Southwest Airport, before reaching Bonney. This entire portion of the route was transferred to Farm to Market Road 521 in 1983.[3] The route then traveled southeast 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. The entire remaining section from FM 521 north of Angleton to Clute was transferred first to Texas State Highway 227 in 1987, and later Business Highway 288 when the bypass around the western side of Lake Jackson opened. The section from Clute south to Freeport remains from the original redirection.
Major intersections[edit]
| County |
Location |
Mile |
Destinations |
Notes |
| Brazoria |
Freeport |
0.0 |
 FM 1495 |
South end of SH 36 overlap |
| 1.9 |
 SH 36 north – Jones Creek, Brazoria, West Columbia |
Folded cloverleaf interchange; North end of SH 36 overlap; |
| 3.1 |
 FM 523 north – Surfside Beach |
|
| Clute |
| Nolan Ryan Expressway |
| 5.5 |
Frontage Road |
Interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance |
| Freeway Begins |
| 5.6 |
 SH 332 east – Surfside Beach
 Bus. SH 288 north – Angleton / Clute - Central Business District |
Partial cloverleaf interchange; south end of SH 332 overlap |
| 6.5 |
Frontage Road / South Shanks Street (unsigned) |
Interchange; northbound exit only |
| 7.1 |
Main Street / Contractor Road / Copper Road |
Interchange |
| 8.1 |
Dixie Drive |
Interchange |
| Lake Jackson |
9.3 |
Plantation Drive |
Interchange |
| 10.6 |
Oak Drive / Veterans Memorial Parkway |
Interchange, northbound exit for This Way and West Way |
| 11.6 |
SH 332 west / Oyster Creek Drive |
Interchange; north end of SH 332 overlap, southbound exit for This Way / Abner Jackson Parkway |
| 12.4 |
 FM 2004 – Richwood |
Interchange |
| Angleton |
17.4 |
County Road 220 |
Interchange |
| 18.6 |
County Road 290 |
Interchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance |
| 19.6 |
 SH 35 – Angleton, West Columbia, Bay City |
Interchange |
| 21.2 |
County Road 44 |
Interchange; southbound exit is via FM 523 exit |
| 21.9 |
FM 523 – Angleton, Alvin |
Interchange |
| Freeway Ends |
|
25.6 |
County Road 45 |
|
|
26.4 |
  FM 521 / Bus. SH 288-B – Rosharon, Angleton |
Interchange |
|
28.4 |
County Road 48 South |
|
|
30.8 |
County Road 51 - Bonney |
|
|
33.1 |
 FM 1462 – Rosharon, Alvin |
Interchange |
| Iowa Colony |
35.1 |
County Road 60 – Iowa Colony |
Northbound frontage road access to County Road 62 |
| 37.1 |
County Road 61 - 63 |
Via Northbound and Southbound frontage road access |
| 38.2 |
County Road 64 |
|
| 39.1 |
County Road 56 |
Via Northbound and Southbound frontage road access |
| 40.2 |
County Road 57 West |
|
| 40.3 |
County Road 57 East |
|
| 41.2 |
County Road 48 North - Iowa Colony |
|
| Manvel |
Freeway Begins |
| 42.5 |
 SH 6 – Alvin, Sugar Land |
Interchange |
| 43.9 |
Rodeo Palms Parkway |
Southbound entrance and exit access only |
| 44.9 |
County Road 58 |
Interchange |
| Pearland |
45.8 |
County Road 101 / Bailey Road |
Interchange |
| 46.8 |
County Road 59 / Southfork Drive |
Interchange |
| 47.8 |
 FM 518 – Pearland |
Interchange |
| 49.4 |
 FM 2234 / Shadow Creek Parkway / McHard Road |
Interchange |
| South Freeway |
| Harris |
Houston |
50.7 |
  Sam Houston Tollway / Beltway 8 |
Interchange |
| 51.8 |
Almeda-Genoa Road |
Interchange |
| 52.8 |
Orem Drive |
Interchange |
| 53.9 |
Airport Boulevard |
Interchange |
| 54.9 |
Reed Road |
Interchange |
| 55.6 |
Bellfort Avenue |
Interchange |
| 56.6 |
 I-610 |
Interchange |
| 57.0 |
Holly Hall Drive |
Interchange; Southbound exit and northbound entrance |
| 57.9 |
 US 90 Alt. / Yellowstone Boulevard / Holcombe Boulevard / Old Spanish Trail |
Interchange |
| 58.8 |
South MacGregor Way / North MacGregor Way – Texas Medical Center |
Interchange |
| 59.1 |
Binz Street, Calumet Street |
Interchange; Southbound exit is via the Southmore Street exit |
| 59.5 |
Southmore Street, Blodgett Street |
Interchange |
| 60.1 |
 US 59 south – Victoria |
Interchange |
| 60.4 |
US 59 north – Cleveland |
Interchange; Northbound exit and southbound entrance |
| 60.5 |
Elgin Avenue, Tuam Avenue |
Interchange; Northbound exit and southbound entrance |
| 60.5 |
Chenevert Street |
Interchange; Northbound exit and southbound entrance |
| 61.3 |
 I-45 – Galveston, Dallas |
Interchange; Northbound exit and southbound entrance |
References[edit]
|
|
|
| Radial |
|
|
| Circumferential |
|
|
| Other limited-access roads |
|
|
| Bridges, tunnels and ferries |
|
|
FM 1495 in Freeport
Sam Houston Tollway / Beltway 8
I-610 in Houston
US 59 in Houston
I-45 in Houston
→
SH 36 north – Jones Creek, Brazoria, West Columbia
FM 523 north – Surfside Beach
SH 332 east – Surfside Beach
Bus. SH 288 north – Angleton / Clute - Central Business District
FM 2004 – Richwood
SH 35 – Angleton, West Columbia, Bay City
FM 521 / Bus. SH 288-B – Rosharon, Angleton
FM 1462 – Rosharon, Alvin
SH 6 – Alvin, Sugar Land
FM 518 – Pearland
FM 2234 / Shadow Creek Parkway / McHard Road
US 90 Alt. / Yellowstone Boulevard / Holcombe Boulevard / Old Spanish Trail
