The Brazoria County (BC) Expressway is a 4 lane (2 southbound; 2 northbound) toll road located between the State Highway 288 General Purpose lanes. The limits of BC Expressway are within Brazoria County from County Road 58 to the Brazoria/Harris County Line at Clear Creek. At the north end of this toll road, it connects to the Drive 288 Express Lanes managed by Blueridge Transportation Group and TxDOT.
The BC Expressway was opened on November 16, 2020 and included three major components for a total cost of $97,169,719.81:
1. Reconstruction of the FM 518 intersection at SH 288. Included the reconstruction of the main lane bridges on SH 288 over FM 518, the widening of FM 518 from Business Center Drive to Smith Ranch Road, and the widening of the access ramps leading to and from the main lanes of SH 288 to FM 518. Approximate Cost: ~ $15 M (TxDOT funded)
2. Corridor aesthetic enhancements. Included soft-and hardscapes within the City of Pearland. Approximate Cost: ~ $2 M (Pearland Economic Development Corporation funded)
3.Construction of the Brazoria County Expressway. Included construction of 5.2 miles of 4 lanes with two elevated structures to get traffic onto the toll lanes; north of FM 518 and at Hughes Ranch Road/Discovery Bay. It also included overpass bridges at McHard Road, FM 518 and CR 59 as well as bridges at Mustang Creek, a drainage ditch and a water canal. Approximate Cost: ~ $80 M.