Detroit: Removal of I-375 could come as I-94 is widened

(Detroit Free Press) Perhaps the biggest irony in Detroit development now is the possibility that we may see I-375 removed for a surface street, restoring a neighborhood feel to downtown Detroit’s east side, even as road builders widen I-94, bulldozing more lanes of asphalt through the heart of the city’s rapidly developing Midtown district.

So far, the removal of I-375 is just a possibility. As reported last week in the Free Press, the Detroit Downtown Development Authority is likely to vote soon on hiring a consultant to manage a visioning process for the I-375 corridor. The visioning exercise will take several months. Possibilities range from rebuilding I-375 as is to filling in the trench-like freeway and recreating a surface street in any one of various ways.

Further north in the trendy Midtown district, the widening of I-94 by one lane in each direction plus new service drives is far more certain, although opponents still hope to block it. SEMCOG, the regional planning authority, earlier this year approved the widening of I-94 as part of its long-term transportation plan, a key step toward making the project happen in years to come.

Fierce opinions can be heard over both projects. Of the hundreds of comments offered on the Free Press’ I-375 story last week, many supported the idea of slowing down the traffic and restoring a more walkable urban environment. Others, many of them suburban commuters or sports fans, howled that they couldn’t lose their high-speed access to downtown destinations. ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.freep.com/article/20131201/BUSINESS06/312010066/I-375-I-94-MDOT-freeways-Detroit