Flower Mound and Denton County dignitaries celebrated the opening of Section 3 of FM 2499 Monday, and in doing so they celebrated progress of a dream that began in Flower Mound’s early years.

Flower Mound elected officials, such as Mayor Jody Smith, and town staff members joined U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, Senator Jane Nelson, State Rep. Tan Parker, Denton County commissioners Andy Eads and Bobbie Mitchell and a representative from Senator Chris Harris’ office at Valley Creek Church in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Section 3, which runs from FM 1171 to FM 407, has been expanded from two lanes to six. Construction began Nov. 2, 2007.

Section 4 is the final leg of the project, which will run from FM 407 to Interstate 35E near Lewisville Lake. Construction began in October of 2008 and is expected to be complete by April, 2011.

“I’m especially grateful to those who served before my time, like (Flower Mound’s first mayor) Bob Rhuedasil, who had the vision to plan for expanded roadways,” Mitchell said. “And the people who anticipated the growth here in Denton County. Thank the Lord for the past.”

In 1985, Denton County undertook a comprehensive transportation study to determine the needs for the future. It concluded that even with the improvements to I-35E, a north-south arterial was still needed to address the projected growth in the Denton County area. By 1988, a plan was in place to have FM 2499 connect Highway 121 to I-35E.

Dignitaries stressed the importance of having a major thoroughfare such as FM 2499 one step closer to completion to address the growing population in the area.

“I have the 11th-largest district by population in the United States,” Burgess said. “We are pushing 900,000 residents in my congressional district, and we had 623,000 back in 2000, to give you an idea of how much we’ve grown. And, of course, Flower Mound has been the sparkplug for that growth. When I first ran for Congress in 2002, transportation was the No. 1 priority, and it’s critical today. No other road project has paralleled my career like FM 2499 has.”

Nelson said the progress of FM 2499 reflects how much Denton County has grown.

“The progress is symbolic to the development of Denton County,” Nelson said. “FM stands for Farm to Market. But if you look at where we are, this is no longer a Farm to Market area. It exemplifies everything that is happening in Denton County right now in Flower Mound.”

Smith also recognized Rhuedasil, who was in attendance, for his efforts in getting the major arterial in town.

“Thank you Bob Rhuedasil,” Smith said. “You will always be remembered as a person who wanted roads, churches and schools in Flower Mound.”


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