Managed lane crash on SH-288 northbound at Bellfort

A crash in the managed lane on SH-288 northbound at Bellfort Boulevard brought traffic to a crawl Thursday afternoon. The wreck happened at 12:47 PM, closing lanes and backing up vehicles across multiple stretches of the freeway during peak afternoon travel.

You're looking at significant delays if you're heading north through this corridor right now. The managed lane closure is hitting commuters hard — this is prime afternoon traffic time, and northbound 288 feeds directly into some of the region's busiest interchanges.

Emergency crews responded and are working to clear the debris and reopen lanes. Details on what sparked the initial impact aren't yet available, but the backup is real.

If you need to get north and can avoid this stretch, you've got options. Almeda Road runs parallel and can absorb some flow, though it'll be slower going through surface streets. South Main and IH-69/US-59 both work as alternative freeway routes — 69/59 especially gives you a parallel freeway option if you're heading toward the northeast side of town.

The managed lanes on 288 are toll lanes, so when they close, you lose one of the premium routes through this part of Harris County. Crews should have this cleared within the next couple of hours, but right now — give yourself extra time or use one of those alternates.

Check real-time conditions before you head out, and if you're already stuck in this backup, surface streets might be your fastest way out at this point.

Update (2:15 PM CT): The major crash at SH-288 Managed Lane Northbound at Bellfort Boulevard, first reported at 12:47 PM, has cleared after approximately 1 hour and 28 minutes. All lanes have reopened and normal traffic flow has resumed in the area.