? on road widening

Be aware that there may be a county easement that extends "some # of feet" from the road edge for road worker's brush abatement. In Coos Cny, Oregon, I think it's 10 or 15 ft. from the county road edge (something like that). My fencing is about 4 ft from my county road edge, it's a pretty narrow county road (no kidding... the blackberry overhang must be cut often). County probably could request that my fencing be moved back some, if they wanted, but it's been sustained that way too long.

BTW, County has rights from that easement to amble about within my pasture and fencing a certain number of feet from the fenceline along my county road, if they wanted.

In this county, most of the roads are on a 66 foot easement. So, the county can do as they like on my property right up to 33 feet from the road's center. The county secondary roads are a lot narrower than that and sometimes we get thinking that we can do as we like on that land on our side of the road ditch.
Actually, I own right to the center of the road. If the state needed more than that 66 foot strip, then they claim eminent domain and pay what they say it is worth and its a done deal.
Blacktopped roads are cheaper to maintain in the long run and there is less dust.

Increasing property values aren't important to those of us that are staying put. However, your widow's second husband might care.