by Nicole Bradford
The Texas Department of Transportation on Oct. 8 announced the termination of the Highway 288 toll lanes contract with an outside company, meaning the state will now assume operations.
Drivers should not expect any immediate changes regarding maintenance or billing, and TxDOT says it will continue to manage traffic in the lanes to a target minimum of 45 mph.
The change means future toll relief and additional free general-purpose lanes for drivers, according to TxDOT Executive Director Marc D. Williams.
TxDOT has said the cost of the buy-out payment of $1.7 billion is substantially below the value of future toll revenues—even with the anticipated future reduction in toll rates.
TxDOT also announced plans to build two free general-purpose lanes along portions of Highway 288 between Loop 610 and Beltway 8 by no later than 2030, with one lane in each direction. Under the plan, this area’s current six free general-purpose lanes would widen to eight lanes, matching the existing capacity north of Loop 610. These two additional free lanes are planned to be paid for by toll revenues.
