SH-288 northbound crashes at Sam Houston Tollway

A crash on SH-288 northbound at Sam Houston Tollway brought heavy traffic to a standstill around 11:57 AM on Monday, July 13, tying up the interchange during a stretch when light rain was falling across the area.

This is the 14th major incident at this exact location in the past 30 days, according to LocalTrafficAccidents.com data. Over the past 12 months, the corridor has seen 26 total incidents, with 22 classified as major—a pattern that shows this interchange as a persistent flashpoint for crashes.

The northbound lanes were significantly impacted. If you're heading north on 288 and can avoid the area for the next couple of hours, consider using Almeda Road, South Main, or IH-69/US-59 as a parallel route. Those alternatives will add time to your trip, but they'll get you around the backup.

Weather conditions at the time—light rain and 77 degrees—may have been a factor. The Texas Department of Transportation reports that wet conditions contributed to over 14,000 crashes statewide in the most recent annual reporting period. Roads are still slick out there, and visibility can drop quickly when rain picks up.

This interchange has a documented history of speed-related incidents. According to TxDOT CRIS public crash records, the most common contributing factor recorded by investigating officers at this location over the past six-plus years is "Failed To Control Speed," cited in 348 crashes since January 2020. Within roughly a quarter-mile of this exact spot, state records show 1,010 total crashes on file, resulting in 2 fatalities.

The Harris County region logged 18,008 incidents in the past 30 days, including 38 fatalities, underscoring how congested and volatile these corridors can be during peak travel windows.

Expect delays to persist as cleanup and investigation continue. Once lanes reopen, traffic should normalize fairly quickly, but you'll want to check real-time updates before merging into the northbound flow. The interchange should be passable within a few hours if the rain clears and no secondary incidents occur.