A major crash at the SH 288 northbound Airport Boulevard exit ramp brought rush hour traffic to a standstill Friday afternoon. The collision occurred at 4:57 p.m. on February 20, 2026, near the 10513 SH 288 Highway address, according to Houston Police Department reports. The incident blocked the critical exit ramp during one of the heaviest commute periods of the week, creating immediate backups for thousands of travelers heading toward or away from Hobby Airport.
Drivers heading northbound on SH 288 toward downtown and the Texas Medical Center faced significant delays extending several miles. The backup stretched well into the afternoon, affecting the primary corridor that thousands of southeast Houston residents rely on daily. Those looking to avoid the mess had limited options: westbound traffic could divert to local streets through the Southside Place area or take the Sam Houston Tollway as a longer bypass. Eastbound drivers might have found relief by exiting onto Airport Boulevard itself to navigate surface streets, though that route would have been congested as well given the volume of diverted traffic.
The stretch of SH 288 near the Airport Boulevard exit has long been a bottleneck during peak hours. The interchange sits in a densely populated area serving commuters from Pearland, Brazoria County, and beyond who regularly use this corridor to access the Medical Center, downtown jobs, and Hobby Airport itself. Friday afternoon traffic compounds these usual challenges, as weekend travelers mix with standard commuters trying to leave the workweek behind.
The Houston Police Department was managing scene operations as of late Friday afternoon. Northbound traffic on SH 288 experienced the primary impact, with the exit ramp closure forcing vehicles to continue past their intended exits. Drivers traveling this route should expect residual congestion even after the incident clears, as the backed-up traffic clears through the system. Those planning weekend travel via Hobby Airport or any southbound trips on SH 288 should allow extra time through Friday evening.
At this location, 16 crashes had been documented in the 30 days before this one.
In the 99 days that followed, 94 more crashes occurred at this location. 58 of the crashes that followed were major. 3 of the crashes since this incident was fatal.
Crashes have accelerated at this location in the months since.
Three of those crashes fell within a single week.
Combined, those numbers put the location among the most active in the county.
Data updated as of May 28, 2026.
SH288IB-AIRPORT BLVD 10513 SH 288 HWY @ AIRPORT EXIT RAMP
Harris County, Texas
This report was produced by LTA's editor-designed production system under the executive editorial direction of Dennis R. Mundy, Executive Editor. The system combines our proprietary data pipeline with AI-assisted drafting to deliver verified incident coverage to LTA's editorial standards.