FM 407's Six-Lane Future Is Coming Into Focus — Funding Is the Final Lock

If you drive FM 407 between Flower Mound and Argyle with any regularity, you already know the road's limitations better than any traffic study could describe them. Two lanes, no median, a population along the corridor that has grown faster than the pavement. TxDOT's plan to fix that — all 11.5 miles of it — is past the public input stage. The next hurdle is money.

The project spans the full stretch of FM 407 running westward from FM 1830 in Bartonville to Bill Cook Road near Justin, passing through six cities and towns along the way. The design calls for a six-lane urban road with three lanes in each direction, 12-foot-wide lanes, and an 18-foot-wide median. A shared-use path and sidewalk would also be included for bicyclists and pedestrians. That is a genuinely different road than the one you're driving now.

The total estimated cost is $235 million. Here is the part that matters most for timing: TxDOT officials are still working to identify funding and do not have a project timeline at this time. The project cleared its public hearing process — the in-person session was held April 30 with a virtual option running through May 15 — and Commissioner Dianne Edmondson said the project could get environmental clearance in June. Clearance opens the gate. Funding is a separate step entirely.

The traffic numbers tell the story on their own. State count data shows average daily trips west of the FM 407 and I-35W intersection climbed from 14,326 in 2019 to 21,051 in 2024; east of the intersection, the count went from 12,216 to 15,325 over the same period. That's before accounting for everything built in Harvest, Pecan Square, and the surrounding communities since those counts were taken.

Denton County hasn't waited on the state. County officials approved a little over $12.5 million in January for two local transportation projects aimed at improving mobility for area residents. One piece was a breakout project pulled from the broader widening — intersection work at FM 407 and I-35W, adding a right-turn lane on the west side and updating drainage, pavement markings, and vehicle deflection walls at the overpass. That construction was set to take 100 days. County funds are moving faster than state funds can, keeping things from stalling entirely.

For the full widening, the honest timeline looks like this: the reconstruction from Cleveland Gibbs Road to Gateway Drive in Argyle is scheduled to start the bidding process in late 2027. The construction letting process for the full project is not anticipated to begin until 2028 at the earliest. Once construction starts, it will likely last two to three years, though no timeline has been finalized.

The practical reality right now: the road's future is designed, the public process is behind it, and the county is doing what it can without state dollars. The project is expected to require new right-of-way totaling around 121 acres, and potential displacements include six residences. If your property sits near the corridor, TxDOT's right-of-way outreach is already underway in some segments — worth paying attention to. If you're a commuter, the lane count doesn't change until funding is secured and construction begins, which by the current schedule means no earlier than 2028.