5 days ago
Michigan Department of Transportation delays I-375 construction project amid rising costs, pushback
The Michigan Department of Transportation is delaying its reconstruction project on Interstate 375 in Detroit following concerns from the public and rising costs.
The department says it will reevaluate design alternatives for the roughly $300 million project, which aims to transform the freeway into a boulevard to connect the Riverfront to Gratiot Avenue and Montcalm Street. The department says it will ensure "the final product meets the needs of the public and key stakeholders," according to a news release.
In the meantime, MDOT says all currently scheduled meetings are postponed and it will continue to focus on the road and bridge conditions on the I-375 corridor.
"We have one opportunity to get this project right," said State Transportation Director Bradley C. Wieferich in a statement. "I-375 has been open for more than 60 years, and we expect the new I-375, whatever design it may be, to be in place much longer. Getting this right for the community and our stakeholders, while remaining good stewards of tax dollars, will remain our priority."
The area was once known as the Black Bottom neighborhood. However, it was demolished more than 50 years ago and replaced with what would become Lafayette Park and the I-375 freeway.
The Detroit Greenways Coalition, which has been supportive of the project, says it was "disappointed" to learn of the delay.
A full statement from the coalition says:
"Having been involved with this project for over a decade, we were clearly disappointed with the unexpected news. While we had numerous concerns about the initial design, MDOT had made many improvements to reduce the project's footprint while improving safety and access for non-motorized travel. We are supportive of the most recent designs and are looking forward to its implementation. We hope that this is merely a pause and that the project continues to move forward in a positive direction."
Throughout the process, there has been opposition to the proposed plan. Last year, the Downtown Detroit Partnership unveiled the results of a peer review report. It was an alternative plan to the Michigan Department of Transportation's design, which has caused concern among residents and businesses in the area.
Initial plans by MDOT offered nine lanes of traffic along the new boulevard. However, the DDP peer review report proposed five or six lanes instead and restore tree line streets.
The ReThink I-375 Community Coalition, a group that opposed MDOT's current plan, accused the department of failing to include community input, especially people who had a connection to Black Bottom. The coalition also took issue with MDOT's plan to raise several lanes of traffic to street level.
In May 2024, the coalition sent a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Mayor Mike Duggan and asked for a pause on the project, citing that MDOT's plan "would actively disconnect our community, and threaten decades of our neighborhood's stability."
A spokesperson for ReThink I-375 issued the following statement on Monday:
"This project pause is a healthy acknowledgement by MDOT of what the Rethink I-375 Community Coalition has said since it was formed: that the I-375 Reconnecting Communities project is more than a boulevard project. While roads are part of the puzzle, this project needs to follow from a vision that respects the complexity of the land use, transportation, urban design, local business, and restorative justice issues at play in the I-375 corridor.
"Going forward, residents, businesses, Black Bottom descendants, and other stakeholders should be engaged in a public-private partnership to develop a vision that the entire community can support, and a project whose results will be worth the inevitable disruption and cost of a massive infrastructure project in downtown Detroit.
"The ReThink I-375 Community Coalition remains committed to advocating for improved infrastructure, including a near-term solution to the deteriorating bridges currently over I-375 and improving mobility and quality of life in the neighborhoods."
