Business owners say they have concerns about a planned widening of Farm-to-Market 720 in Denton County.
The proposal would widen a stretch of FM 720 from Highway 380 to East Eldorado Parkway from two lanes to six lanes. The $40 million project could knock out some homes and businesses along the route.
"This is our business. This is our livelihood. This is our retirement. To be relocated or to be closed would be disastrous," said Kim Morales, who owns an auto repair shop along FM 720.
She and her husband opened Action Collision Repair in anticipation of traffic to come.
"We have basically the same two-lane road that we've had forever, and we now have 30,000 to 35,000 people," Morales said.
Denton County Judge Mary Horn said the roads need to catch up to area's growth.
"Where there used to be cows, now there's businesses," she said. "It was evident that that area had grown faster than any other area in the county."
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Developers have taken advantage of the available land along the highway. Neighborhoods are popping, increasing the traffic flow.
"Something desperately needed to be done," Horn said.
Residents Mary and Charles Posey said they recognize the growth but don't want to sacrifice the business they've built, Posey Express Bar-B-Que.
"We love the small town the way it used to be," Mary Posey said. "We love the country feel."
The Texas Department of Transportation is holding a public meeting Thursday night in Aubrey for Denton County residents to voice their opinions on the road project.
