Texas State Highway 87

State Highway 87 marker

State Highway 87
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length: 249.39 mi[1] (401.35 km)
Existed: by 1939 – present
Major junctions
South end: I-45 in Galveston
  US 69/US 96/US 287 in Port Arthur
I-10/US 90 in Orange
US 190 in Newton
North end: US 59/US 84/Loop 470 at Timpson
Highway system
← US 87SH 88 →

State Highway 87 or SH 87 runs for 249.4 miles (401.4 km) 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 (30 m) away from high tide in the 1990s. The storm surge from Hurricane Jerry which made landfall on October 15, 1989, left the highway in a state of disrepair.

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.

History

SH 87 approaching Gilchrist with damage from Hurricane Ike

SH 87 was originally designated in 1926[3] from Orange to Milam. The route was the previously proposed SH 8A before being renumbered. By 1928,[4] it extended to Port Arthur. By 1933, it extended again, this time to High Island. 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 about 10 miles west of Sabine Pass. 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 ditches 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.[5]

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; however, the decision was made not to build the bridge.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
GalvestonGalveston I-45 north / Spur 342 (61st Street) / 71st Street – Houston, Scholes International AirportI-45 exit 1A
SH 275 west (Harborside Drive / truck route)
SH 168 north
Bolivar Roads Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry
  Loop 108 north – Port Bolivar
  Loop 108 south
  SH 124 north
Gap in route
Jefferson McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge
  PR 69 – Sea Rim State Park
Sabine Pass FM 3322 east – USCG
Port Arthurbridge over Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
SH 82 – Houston, Cameron, Galveston
Spur 215 north (Savannah Avenue)
US 69 north / US 96 north / US 287 north (Woodworth Boulevard)
SH 347 north (Jefferson Drive)
SH 73 west / Taft Avenue / Procter Streetinterchange; south end of SH 73 overlap
FM 366 – Groves, Port Nechesinterchange
Neches RiverVeterans Memorial Bridge / Rainbow Bridge
OrangeBridge City FM 1442 north
Cow BayouCow Bayou Swing Bridge
  SH 62 north / SH 73 east to I-10 – Mauricevillenorth end of SH 73 overlap
  FM 1006 east
Orange FM 105 to SH 62 / FM 1006 – West Orange

Bus. US 90 west to I-10 – Pinehurst		south end of US 90 Bus. overlap

Bus. US 90 east (West Green Avenue) – Lamar State College, Museums, Theaters		north end of US 90 Bus. overlap
I-10 (US 90) – Lake CharlesI-10 exit 877
FM 3247 northsouth end of FM 3247 overlap
FM 3247 south – Little Cypressnorth end of FM 3247 overlap
Newton  SH 12 – Beaumont, Deweyville
  FM 253 – Buna
  FM 2829 east – Old Salem
  FM 1416 north – Bon Wier
Trout Creek FM 1004 south to US 96
  FM 2460 east to FM 1416
Bleakwood FM 363 – Kirbyville, Bon Wier
  FM 2939 west
Newton Loop 505 north – Newton
US 190 – Jasper, Newton, Deridder
Loop 505 south – Newton
FM 2626 south to US 190
  FM 1414 north to SH 63
  FM 1415 north to SH 63 – Shankleville
Burkeville SH 63 – Jasper, Leesville
  FM 1415 south – Wiergate
Mayflower RE 255 to US 96 – Toledo Bend Dam
Sabine  FM 3315 east
  FM 2928 east
Yellowpine FM 2343 south
FM 2426 west – Pineland
Hemphill FM 944 east
FM 83 westsouth end of FM 83 overlap
SH 184 west
FM 83 eastnorth end of FM 83 overlap
Milam SH 21 – San Augustine, Many
Isla FM 276 east (Carters Ferry Road) – Toledo Bend Reservoir
Sexton FM 330 south – Geneva
Shelby  FM 353 west – San Augustine
  FM 1279 west
Patroon FM 2261 east – East Hamilton
  FM 139 south – East Libertysouth end of FM 139 overlap
  FM 139 north – Strong, Ragtown Recreation Areanorth end of FM 139 overlap
  SH 147 south – San Augustine
Shelbyville FM 417 westsouth end of FM 417 overlap
FM 417 east – Huxleynorth end of FM 417 overlap
  FM 414 east
Center Loop 500 to US 96 / SH 7 – San Augustine, Shelby College Center
SH 7 (San Augustine Street / Cora Street) / FM 699 north (Logansport Street)traffic circle around Shelby County Courthouse
US 96 (Hurst Street / Tenaha Street) to Loop 500 / SH 7 / SH 87 south – San Augustine, Tenaha
  FM 1645 southsouth end of FM 1645 overlap
  FM 1645 northnorth end of FM 1645 overlap
  FM 415 south – Silas, Stockman
Timpson Spur 470 (Bear Drive)
US 59 / US 84
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ↑ Texas Department of Transportation,
  2. ↑ http://www.texasfreeway.com/statewide/Statewide/abandoned/TX87_closed/87_eroded.shtml
  3. ↑ Texas 1926 highway map
  4. ↑ Texas 1928 highway map
  5. ↑ Fort Manhassett: A Forgotten Chapter in the History of Sabine Pass, Texas