COUNTY ROAD 257 SHORELINE STABILIZATION
Brazoria County, Texas

Follets Island was severely damaged by Hurricane Ike. The thin strip of upland that defines Follets Island separates the Gulf of Mexico from estuarine and palustrine marshes. County Road 257 (CR 257), also known as Bluewater Highway, is the sole access road that runs the length of Follets Island from the Village of Surfside to Treasure Island in Brazoria County. Approximately 3.25 miles of the beach was eroded to approximately mean sea level. In at least three locations, the highway was completely breached during Hurricane Ike. At these sites, the Gulf waters were separated from the bay waters by less than 10-20 feet of land which is no higher than one foot above the current water level.

The purpose of this project was to complete the design of permanent road repairs and shoreline stabilization structures that will serve to protect CR 257 and the ecological systems located landward of the road. Coast & Harbor Engineering (CHE) performed data collection, final engineering design, and construction contract document preparation for the permanent road repair and road protection betterment.

Pre-Hurricane Ike, 8/2008 Post-Hurricane Ike, 9/2008