A new review of the reconstruction of Interstate 375 in Detroit proposes several alternate designs, including making the area more walkable once the freeway is removed, minimizing displacement and creating greater economic impact.
The project was analyzed in a 104-page report for the Detroit Downtown Partnership. It includes several recommendations different from what the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) proposed.
Among the recommendations are eliminating the planned median in favor of more pedestrian space along the road, putting trees in population-dense areas and creating an interchange that includes room for homes and businesses rather than just vehicle traffic.
Eric Larson, CEO of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, said that although plans have already evolved based on worries about road width and its impact on safety, for instance, much work remains.
The analysis, which Larson describes as a guide to move the project forward in a constructive way, takes the project in three parts, outlining opportunities for what is possible, evaluating the preferred design and refinements and laying out mitigation strategies for construction.
MDOT plans to tear up I-375, update the Interstate 75 interchange and replace I-375 with a street-level boulevard.
The project is expected to begin in late 2025.
Source: The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press
