Toll rates could be reduced by nearly half for the Harris County portion of Highway 288 as soon as Sept. 1, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
“When TxDOT made the historic move to buy back this roadway, we promised drivers toll relief and that we would repay the state highway fund for the money that was borrowed to allow the state of Texas to take control of this roadway,” Texas Transportation Commission Chair J. Bruce Bugg Jr. said in a statement. “This will provide real benefits for Houston area drivers and is a great example of how we work to ease congestion across the state.”
TxDOT in October 2024 took operations of Highway 288 with plans to reduce toll rates while funding ongoing maintenance.
“Not only will this help people now, but we’re planning more free lanes in the next few years for faster and easier commutes between downtown Houston and Brazoria County,” Texas Transportation Commissioner Steven Alvis said.
A portion of the toll revenue that TxDOT collects on SH 288 will be used to pay for the construction of two new, free general-purpose lanes — one in each direction — along portions of SH 288 between IH 610 and Beltway 8.
While TxDOT policy establishes toll rates, toll billing and customer account management will continue to be handled by the Harris County Toll Road Authority. The TxDOT-managed portion of SH 288 includes more than 10 miles of tolled facilities from I-69 to the county line between Harris and Brazoria Counties.
Toll rates on the SH 288 managed lanes are based on the day of the week, time of day, and number of vehicle axles. Rates fluctuate and may be adjusted every half hour to sustain traffic in the managed lanes to keep traffic flowing and reduce congestion.
