{{short description|State highway in Texas}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox road |state=TX |maint=TxDOT |type=SH |route=255 |alternate_name=Camino Colombia Road |map={{maplink-road|from=Texas State Highway 255.map}} |map_custom=yes |map_notes=SH 255, highlighted in red |length_mi=22.451 |length_ref=<ref name="SH 255">{{TxDOT|SH|255|accessdate=March 13, 2008}}</ref> |length_round=3 |established=2004 |direction_a=West |direction_b=East |terminus_a=[[Colombia Solidarity International Bridge]] at the [[Mexico-United States border|Mexican border]] |junction={{jct|state=TX|<!--I|27|-->US|83}} near [[Laredo, Texas|Laredo]] |terminus_b={{jct|state=TX|I|35}} near Laredo |counties=[[Webb County, Texas|Webb]] |previous_type=SH |previous_route=254 |next_type=SH |next_route=256 }}
[[Image:IH 35 - Camino Colombia Intersection.jpg|thumb|right|I-35 Interchange]] [[Image:Camino Colombia Toll Scheduke.jpg|thumb|right|Toll rates as seen on I-35 south in 2008]]
'''State Highway 255''' ('''SH 255''') is state highway in the U.S. state of [[Texas]] that allows international traffic to bypass [[Laredo, Texas|Laredo]]. Located in [[Webb County, Texas|Webb County]], the highway provides a connection between the [[Laredo–Colombia Solidarity International Bridge]] to [[Interstate 35 (Texas)|Interstate 35]] (I-35).<ref name="SH 255"/> The route opened in 2000 as the '''Camino Colombia Toll Road''', and was one of the few operating toll roads in the [[United States]] to have gone through the legal process of [[foreclosure]]. The toll designation was removed from the route in 2017.<ref name="LMTonline">{{cite web|url=http://www.lmtonline.com/local/politics/article/TxDOT-legislation-converts-Camino-Colombia-into-a-11958198.php|title=TxDOT legislation converts Camino Colombia into a non-toll road|accessdate=January 24, 2018|date=August 25, 2017|publisher=LMTonline}}</ref>
==Route description== SH 255 begins at the [[Laredo–Colombia Solidarity International Bridge]] on the [[Mexico–United States border]].<ref name="Mapbook 2142">{{Texas Mapbook|page=2142|year=2018|link=no|access-date=December 22, 2022}}</ref> From the [[Laredo Colombia Solidarity Port of Entry]], SH 255 heads northeast as a four-lane divided highway and crosses [[Farm to Market Road 1472|FM 1472]] (Mines Road). It then merges down to a two-lane road just west of the former toll barrier. SH 255 continues northeast to an intersection at [[Farm to Market Road 3338|FM 3338]] (Las Tiendas Road)<ref name="Mapbook 2143">{{Texas Mapbook|page=2143|year=2018|link=no|access-date=December 22, 2022}}</ref> and a [[diamond interchange]] with <!--[[Interstate 27|I-27]]/-->[[U.S. Highway 83 in Texas|US 83]].<ref name="Mapbook 2130">{{Texas Mapbook|page=2130|year=2018|link=no|access-date=December 22, 2022}}</ref> It continues to the northeast to its eastern terminus at [[Interstate 35 in Texas|I-35]] exit 24.<ref name="Mapbook 2131">{{Texas Mapbook|page=2131|year=2018|link=no|access-date=December 22, 2022}}</ref> Although the portion from the Mexican border to FM 1472 is officially part of SH 255, it is still signed as FM 255.<ref>{{google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7105312,-99.7290215,3a,17.1y,163.9h,91.93t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sxWyMAOUwY90Kx-M2m1l7bQ!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-1.9344660045385353%26panoid%3DxWyMAOUwY90Kx-M2m1l7bQ%26yaw%3D163.8981306282112!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDEyMC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D |title=FM 1472 at FM/SH 255 (Google Street View) |access-date=January 22, 2025}}</ref>
==History== ===Previous route=== A previous route numbered SH 255 was designated on October 26, 1937, beginning in [[Bremond, Texas|Bremond]] and traveling southeast via [[Franklin, Texas|Franklin]] and [[Wheelock, Texas|Wheelock]] to [[Texas State Highway OSR|SH OSR]].<ref name="TxDOT Minutes Oct261937">{{cite web|title=Minutes of the Two Hundred Fortieth Special Meeting of the State Highway Commission|url=https://publicdocs.txdot.gov/minord/MinuteOrderDocLib/003673906.pdf|agency=[[Texas State Highway Commission]]|page=177|date=October 26, 1937|access-date=December 22, 2022}}</ref> This route was cancelled on April 29, 1942, and the section south of one mile north of Wheelock became [[Farm to Market Road 46|FM 46]].<ref name="FM 46">{{TxDOT|FM|46|accessdate=September 2, 2011}}</ref>
===Current route=== The route was originally approved in 1997 as a privately owned toll route for mainly truck traffic to bypass the city of Laredo for traffic congestion. The route was opened as the Camino Colombia Toll Road in October 2000, at a cost of approximately $90 million. SH 255 inherited its number from FM 255, which was designated on the route between the border crossing and [[Farm to Market Road 1472|FM 1472]] on January 30, 1989.<ref name="FM 255">{{TxDOT|FM|255|accessdate=October 3, 2011}}</ref> The SH 255 designation was extended over this segment on June 30, 2005.<ref name="SH 255"/>
In August 2001, landowners that were shareholders of the route filed a lawsuit, claiming that profits and traffic usage were less than expected. The failure of the route was attributed to the price for truck traffic ($16), the continuation of U.S. government policies banning Mexican trucks from the interior of the United States (which had been expected to be abolished under the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]]), and the approval of a new freeway connecting route from the [[World Trade International Bridge]] crossing along [[State Highway Loop 20 (Texas)|Loop 20]] to Interstate 35.
The toll road was foreclosed on late in 2003 and was purchased at auction on January 6, 2004, by its main creditor, the [[John Hancock Life Insurance Company]], for the minimum $12{{nbsp}}million, one-sixth of the construction value.<ref name="Gonzalez2004">{{cite news|url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Toll-road-to-Mexico-takes-bumpy-detour-1972463.php|title=Toll road to Mexico takes bumpy detour|last=Gonzalez|first=John W.|website=Houston Chronicle|date=January 7, 2004|access-date=June 25, 2024}}</ref> The only other bidder was the Texas Department of Transportation at $11.1{{nbsp}}million.<ref name="Gonzalez2004"/> The route was subsequently closed to all traffic. On May 27, 2004, TxDOT purchased the route from John Hancock for a negotiated $20{{nbsp}}million, and reopened the route in September, dropping the toll to $2.00 for cars and $2.00 per additional axle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tollroadsnews.info/artman/publish/article_649.shtml|title=Camino Colombia TR begins operations under TXDOT|accessdate=March 14, 2008|date=September 9, 2004|publisher=TOLLROADSnews}}{{Dead link|date=April 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{unreliable source?|date=April 2014}}</ref>
[[Image:Toll Texas 255.svg|right|thumb|70px|Signage used when SH 255 was tolled from 2004 to 2017.]]
On June 1, 2009, cash collection was discontinued and the use of the [[TxTag]] [[electronic toll collection]] system (or the interoperable [[EZ TAG]] and [[TollTag]] system) became mandatory. Unlike other TxDOT-operated toll roads, there was no pay-by-mail option, although the option to set up a prepaid day pass account was provided. Motorists were also able to use Laredo Trade Tags if they were connected to a TxTag account.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://caminocolombia.org/english/pay.php |title=Texas Tollways - Camino Colombia |accessdate=September 29, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608211523/http://www.caminocolombia.org/english/pay.php |archivedate=June 8, 2009 }}</ref>
During the 2017 Texas legislative session, language was added to Senate Bill 312 that disallowed TxDOT from continuing to operate the route as a toll project.<ref>[http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/85R/billtext/html/SB00312F.htm Section 228.201(d)]</ref> The bill was passed by both the Texas Senate and Texas House of Representatives on May 30, 2017, was signed by the governor on June 9, 2017, and took effect September 1, 2017.<ref name="LMTonline" />
==Major intersections== {{jcttop|state=TX|county=Webb|length_ref=<ref name="google maps">{{google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/preview#!data=!4m21!3m20!1m4!3m2!3d27.6997501!4d-99.7455299!6e2!1m4!3m2!3d27.8289263!4d-99.4105424!6e2!2e0!3m8!1m3!1d99045!2d-99.7119412!3d27.7156428!3m2!1i1366!2i673!4f13.1&fid=0 |title=SH 255 |accessdate=September 29, 2013}}</ref>}} {{Jctint |location_special=[[Rio Grande]] |type=toll |mile=0.0 |road=[[Laredo–Colombia Solidarity International Bridge]] – [[United States-Mexico border|Mexico Border]] |notes=Western terminus; continues as Nuevo Leon State Highway Spur 1}} {{TXint |location=Laredo |lspan=3 |mile=0.2 |road=[[Laredo Colombia Solidarity Port of Entry]] |notes=}} {{TXint |mile=1.3 |road={{jct|state=TX|FM|1472|city1=Laredo|city2=San Antonio}} |notes=[[At-grade intersection]]}} {{TXint |mile=1.9 |road=Las Minas Boulevard |notes=At-grade intersection}} {{TXint |location=none |mile=3.7 |road=Port Industrial Boulevard |notes=At-grade intersection}} {{TXint |location=none |mile=4.7 |place=CCTR Admin Building}} {{TXint |location=none |mile=8.2 |road={{jct|state=TX|FM|3338|dir1=south}} |notes=At-grade intersection; northern terminus of FM 3338}} {{TXint |type=closed |location=none |mile=8.7 |place=Camino Colombia Automated Gantry ({{convert|18|ft|m}} clearance, no longer tolled as of September 1, 2017<ref name="LMTonline" />)}}<!--while not in operation, the toll gantry is still present as of May 2024--> {{TXint |location=none |mile=17.9 |road=Jefferies Road |notes=At-grade intersection}} {{TXint |location=none |mile=19.3 |road={{jct|state=TX|<!--I|27|-->US|83|city1=Laredo|city2=Carrizo Springs}} |notes=Interchange}} {{TXint |location=none |mile=22.7 |road={{jct|state=TX|I|35|city1=Laredo|city2=San Antonio}} |notes=Eastern terminus; exit 24 on I-35}} {{jctbtm|keys=closed,toll}}
==References== {{reflist}}
[[Category:State highways in Texas|255]] [[Category:Transportation in Webb County, Texas]] [[Category:Former toll roads in Texas]]