City, state and county leaders came together in Katy on May 16 to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Cane Island I-10 interchange. Those present included Katy's mayor Fabol Hughes, State Senator Glenn Hegar, Lance LaCour of the Katy Area Economic Development Council and Skip Connor of the Katy Development Authority.

Katy Mayor Fabol Hughes said Cane Island Parkway is a major part of Katy's plan to ensure that the city has the proper infrastructure in place to support its growing population, which is expected to double in the next few years.

"Cane Island Parkway is the gateway to west Katy development over the next 10 years," Hughes said. "The connections it will provide will be valuable to the city as more businesses and employers locate here."

Texas State Senator Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, said Cane Island is a very important project for the entire region, not just Katy and Waller and Fort Bend counties.

"What we really need to focus on is making sure we're finding innovative solutions for our transportation problems," Hegar said.

The interchange is a joint project of the city of Katy, Parkside Capital and the Texas Department of Transportation. The city will work with Parkside to build the parkway up to the interchange. Fort Bend County will oversee the construction of the parkway southward from the interchange.

Jonathan Schumann, chief of staff for Fort Bend County Precinct Three Commissioner Andy Meyers said Cane Island Parkway was one of the commissioner's top bond priorities. Meyers hopes to open the extension around the same time that the overpass is complete in 2015, he said.