TxDOT designates Highway 87 on Bolivar Peninsula an official hurricane evacuation route

BOLIVAR PENINSULA, Texas (KTRK) -- As we approach the start of hurricane season, it's important to know what to do if a storm moves toward southeast Texas.

People on the Bolivar Peninsula are getting a lifeline as the state officially designates State Highway 87 as an evacuation route.

When a storm moves in from the Gulf, TxDOT sends emergency response equipment first to designated hurricane evacuation routes. This now includes State Highway 87 between Crystal Beach and State Highway 124.

Over the years, TxDOT has attempted to raise State Highway 87 and keep it from Gulf waters. For people on Bolivar, the State highway is a lifeline out to I-10 when storm surge becomes an issue.

According to TxDOT, the designation allows two options to speed the evacuation process.

The first is Contraflow, which reverses some or all inbound lanes into outbound lanes on a designated roadway. The second is Evaculanes, which allow the use of the road's shoulder as a transportation lane during an evacuation.

Drivers can expect to see evacuation route signage along SH-87 as part of this new designation.