Segment E of the Grand Parkway is poised to open in December, connecting Cypress and Katy by a 15-mile toll road and bringing with it potential residential, commercial and job growth.

During the Nov. 7 Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce mobility forum, officials discussed the affect the toll road could have in the Cypress area, comparing it with the rapid growth that occurred after Segment D opened in the mid-1990s in Katy and Fort Bend County.

"We're looking at a game changer here with the Grand Parkway coming in," said Peter Houghton, chairman of the West Houston Association.

The Cypress area should expect to have much growth that occurs in the years following the opening of the Grand Parkway, which is similar to what occurred in and along the master-planned communities in Fort Bend County such as Cinco Ranch and Seven Meadows. For example, when Segment D of the Grand Parkway opened in 1994 connecting I-10 to Hwy. 59, there was about $6 million in assessed value along the corridor, Gornet said.

"Today, in that same corridor, you have almost $10 billion in assessed value," he said. "That's a 15-fold increase. I would expect we'll see similar results [in Cypress], and I'm sure the folks at Bridgeland are excited about the Grand Parkway coming in because their property should be very similar to what happened in Cinco Ranch."

The West Houston Association—which studies issues such as transportation, infrastructure and public policies—has divided its coverage area into three segments, the central portion of which includes much of Cy-Fair. The central zone also has the Grand Parkway centered in it, and the area's population growth initially is projected to center along the roadway and then grow primarily to the west, Houghton said.

Another new roadway that will accommodate residential growth as it moves west is the Prairie Parkway—another north/south connector that is proposed to run through Waller County.

"From Fry Road to the Prairie Parkway we think will be full of rooftops over the next 40 years," Houghton said.

Transportation is a regional issue—one that ties into job growth and attracting new companies to the area, said Ray Laughter, vice chancellor for external affairs at Lone Star College.

"When I think about how we would have had mobility without Beltway 8 and where we would be today without it, I think we'll say the same thing in 10 years with the Grand Parkway," he said. "How did we serve these growing populations without the Grand Parkway. It's easy to see the value of it."

Although the Houston area is one of the leaders in the country for job growth, areas will not be able to attract companies and new jobs without regional mobility, Laughter said.

"If you can't move people up and around with the Grand Parkway and the other infrastructure you have, you wouldn't be able to recruit those companies and retain them," he said.

Ultimately, the public's support is needed for large infrastructure and transportation projects, which are becoming increasingly difficult to complete, Houghton said.

"Most people in the Houston area are against new roads, they are slightly against growth and they're worried about flooding and traffic, so there are a lot of issues that stand between major infrastructure projects and getting them completed," he said. "The support of the community and pushing these projects is critical."