Texas State Highway 87

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State Highway 87

Length:

249.39^[1] mi (401.34 km)

Formed:

by 1939

North end:

US 59/US 84/Loop 470 at Timpson

Major
junctions:

US 96

US 190
I-10/US 90
US 69/US 96/US 287

South end:

I-45 at Galveston

Highways in Texas
< US 87		SH 88 >

State Highway 87 or SH 87 runs for 249.4 miles 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.

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 away from high tide in the 1990s.

While talk about rebuilding the destroyed segment of State Highway 87 happens from time to time (for example, in 1998), there is no serious effort underway to do so.

1 History
2 Future work
3 Counties and junctions
4 References

[edit] History

SH 87 was originally designated by 1933 from Milam to High Island. The section of this route from Milam to Orange was the previously proposed SH 8A before being renumbered. In 1939, it was extended to its current terminus in Timpson, and replaced the section of SH 124 from High Island to Galveston. In 1970, road machinery used in its construction accidentally dug up several cannonballs and crumbling kegs of black powder. 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 diches 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.^[2]

[edit] Future work

Two 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 but by popular vote residents voted not to replace the ferries.

[edit] Counties and junctions

County	Junction	Notes
Shelby	US 59/US 84/Loop 470 – Timpson
	US 96 – Center
	SH 7 – Center
	SH 147
Sabine	SH 21 – Milam
Sabine	SH 184 – Hemphill
Newton	SH 63 – Burkeville
	US 190 – Newton
	SH 12
Orange	I-10/US 90 – Orange
Orange	SH 62/SH 73
Jefferson	SH 347 – Port Arthur
	US 69/US 96/US 287 – Port Arthur
	SH 82 – Port Arthur
Chambers	no intersections
Galveston	SH 124 – High Island
Galveston	I-45 – Galveston