Michigan DOT Pauses Controversial Detroit I-375 Project

The Michigan Department of Transportation is pausing its controversial Interstate 375 project in downtown Detroit, citing rising costs and resident concerns.

The I -375 Reconnecting Communities Project would remove the old below-ground freeway and build a six-lane raised boulevard with bike lanes and large sidewalks. MDOT said the redesign will increase safety, walkability and multimodal transportation options.

But state officials are now taking a step back and rethinking the project, which is estimated to cost $500 million.

Detroit residents expressed concerns over the safety of pedestrian crossings on the planned boulevard, the usage of over 30 acres of newly created vacant land and construction impacts on surrounding businesses.

Citizens also had questions about the project’s promised reparative components. I-375 displaced the Black neighborhoods it was built on in the 1960s.

“The I-375 Reconnecting Communities project is more than a boulevard project,” advocacy group Rethink I-375 Community Coalition said in a statement. “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.”

MDOT will now reevaluate design options and schedule more public engagement opportunities.

“We have one opportunity to get this project right,” MDOT Director Bradley Wieferich said 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.”

Construction was supposed to begin this fall and continue through 2029. It is now unclear when the project will begin.

The department said the work needs to continue in some form, however, because several freeway bridges are structurally deficient and must be replaced.

“Upgrading I-375 is a priority for the department,” said Jocelyn Garza, MDOT deputy director of public affairs for communications. “The pavement is currently rated in poor condition and several of the bridges need to be replaced. Work will occur, and ensuring the bridges remain safe in the meantime will remain a priority, but certainly places some urgency on committing to a final design.”

Sources: WXYZ, Michigan Department of Transportation, Bridge Detroit