Officials celebrate FM 407 completion

Denton County, area town and other officials on Oct. 16 celebrated the completion of FM 407 from FM 1830 to Chinn Chapel, increasing it from a two-lane rural lane to a four-lane divided highway.

The FM 407 widening project has been in the planning stages for decades with the FM 1830 to West Chinn Chapel portion under construction since January 2010, officials said.

The only remaining portion left is landscaping, which will include native trees and plants, officials said.

Denton County Precinct 4 Commissioner Andy Eads thanked mayors of each of the communities along the edges of the project, specifically Double Oak Mayor Mike Donnelly.

“Double Oak residents were the most impacted,” Eads said. “He was a great advocate for the residents.”

Eads spoke to a crowd of about 30 area officials at Bartonville Town Center off FM 407 where a special cake was created for the occasion – one with a four-lane road topped with cars and bulldozers. Officials then commemorated the occasion with a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

The finished portion of FM 407 touches Lantana, Bartonville, Copper Canyon and Double Oak, feeding from Highland Village and Flower Mound to Argyle.

Eads said all of the entities worked well together.

“It’s a real partnership between city, county and state to make it better than we found it.

The project brings to culmination years of planning, coordinated funding with entities including Denton County and the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT contributed $6.3 million. Denton County contributed $9.3 million. An estimated $8 million was used to build the Lantana curve and $1.3 million was used on the remainder of the project. Denton County also contributed $25.3 million in regional toll revenues to the construction of FM 407, according to a news release.

““We have already seen the improvement in our quality of life that proper infrastructure brings. It shortens our commutes, spurs economic growth and provides better safety,” Eads said in a news release. “With the ribbon-cutting today on FM 407, we again signal to the rest of the region that Denton County and its cities are “open for business.”

Eads also told the crowd that in addition to the FM 407 improvements, Denton County will work with TxDOT next year as part of a green ribbon campaign for landscape improvements to medians and other portions of the right of way.