It was a message of collaboration and cooperation at the groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 25 for the Tomball Tollway, as leaders from around the region gathered to celebrate the start of construction.

To kick off the ceremony, Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner R. Jack Cagle, Tomball Mayor Gretchen Fagan, state Rep. Allen Fletcher and Montgomery County Precinct 2 Commissioner Craig Doyal rode up to the event on horseback to greet the more than 100 people in attendance gathered at the corner of Hirschfield and Hwy. 249.

The aforementioned officials, along with state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands and Congressman Michael McCaul, spoke at the event. Their message was clear: The reason this was made possible was because of the collaborative effort of all those involved. It was also a message that looked to the promising future of the region.

"This is a great example of what communities can get done when they work together," Williams said.

McCaul stressed the necessity of the road to help with the continued growth in the area.

"We live in the fastest growing area in Texas, and I would argue the nation," McCaul said. "With that growth in population, which I believe is about 1,500 a day in Harris County, we need the proper infrastructure to handle it. The Tomball [Tollway] is all about handling that growth."

The project, which is split into two phases, is expected to take about 16 months to complete.

"Sixteen months—I have never heard of a project being completed that fast," McCaul said. "This is a great day for Tomball."