Farm to Market Road 521

Infobox TX State Highway
type=Farm
route=521
length_mi=94.612 Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/fm500/fm521.htm] ]
length_km=152.26
formed=1945
dir1=North
dir2=South
from=
junction=
to=
previous_type=Farm
previous_route=520
next_type=Farm
next_route=522

Farm to Market Road 521 is a state highway the U.S. state of Texas.

The road is one of the longest farm-to-market roads in the state at almost 95 miles. It starts at U.S. Highway 90A near downtown Houston and passes south and southwest through Harris, Brazoria, and Matagorda counties.

Inside Houston, the road has been designated as Urban Road 521, but the designation is only used in official state files. In Houston, it's known as Almeda Road. South of South MacGregor Way, Almeda Road has a wide median, and this was the originally proposed alignment for the South Freeway. [ [http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=29.711286,-95.381413&spn=0.004352,0.007253&t=h&z=17 Almeda Road at South MacGregor Way] . Google Maps. Last accessed April 21, 2008.] [ [http://www.oscarmail.net/houstonfreeways/ebook/South_Freeway_72ppi.pdf South Freeway, SH 288] Erik Slotboom, HoustonFreeways.com. Last accessed April 21, 2008.]

In the future, the wide median of Almeda Road is the proposed location for the the exit lanes of the South Freeway future toll lanes. The exit lanes will travel north on Almeda road and cross over Holly Hall Street before merging with traffic on Almeda Road. [ [http://houstonstrategies.blogspot.com/2007/02/big-plans-for-288-but-it-could-be.html Big plans for 288, but it could be better] . Tory Gattis, Houston Strategies. Published February 22, 2007. Last accessed April 21, 2008.]

Directional Change

From Alternate 90 in Houston to Business 288 in Bonney, FM 521 is signed North/South. From that intersection to the end of FM 521 in Palacios, the road is marked East/West.

Brazos River Bridge

FM 521 runs concurrently with State Highway 332 over the Brazos River bridge into Brazoria in Brazoria County. Plans are under way to build a new span as the old bridge has been there since the 1930s.

outh Texas Project

FM 521 makes a half-loop around the South Texas Project nuclear plant, west of Wadsworth in Matagorda County. Parking along the highway is not allowed on a four mile stretch from the west to the east sides of the plant.

References