Faster and Safer Access to Downtown Houston

Brazoria County Expressway (SH 288) is an extraordinarily congested highway. Traffic congestion on SH 288 has grown, continuing to exacerbate commute times. At Hwy. 288 and FM 518, traffic on the highway has grown from about 54,000 vehicles to 97,000 in four years, according to annual traffic counts from TxDOT. To improve traffic flow on the SH 288 construction started with the addition of two managed (tolled) lanes in each direction as well as direct access ramps to FM 518 and Hughes Ranch Road/Discovery Bay.

Built within an existing median, the Brazoria County Expressway consists of two northbound and two southbound managed lanes, the reconstruction of existing SH 288 general-purpose lanes, and the widening of FM 518 with new U-turns to accommodate the managed lanes. HR Green provided construction engineering and inspection services for the roadway and bridge reconstruction of the SH 288 and FM 518 interchange in coordination with Brazoria County, TxDOT, and the City of Pearland. The project included two 3-span bridge structures, soil nail retaining walls, pavement reconstruction, drainage, lighting, and traffic signals. The Brazoria County Expressway, along with the adjacent TxDOT project, will allow for continuous flow from northern Brazoria County to downtown Houston.