It runs northwesterly along the Nolan Ryan Expressway up to an interchange south of Freeport where it separates from SH 36.

It runs through Lake Jackson and up to the west side of Angleton, near the Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport.

It then continues north, intersecting SH 6 near Iowa Colony and then enters Harris County, interchanging with the Sam Houston Tollway and then I-610.

The lanes begin at County Road 58 in Manvel and terminate at I-69/US 59 in Houston for a total length of 15 miles (24.1 km).

However, in 2024, TxDOT exercised an option to terminate the partnership early and revert the segment to state control.

[2] BCTRA has proposed a second phase of the project, which will stretch about 10 miles (16 km) south to a planned extension of Grand Parkway (SH 99) in Rosharon.

The route traveled southward through Fresno, past the Houston Southwest Airport, before reaching Bonney.

southward was transferred to Farm to Market Road 521 and Spur 300 on December 14, 1981, as SH 288 was rerouted onto the new freeway from US 90 Alt.