Great Lakes Wire

A $105 million competitive federal grant will help in the construction of Detroit's I-375 modernization project.

According to a state government news release, Detroit leaders joined U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in making the announcement.

“I-375 bulldozed two vibrant Black neighborhoods and is part of an unjust and painful chapter in our history,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said. “Instead of dividing our communities, we now have a chance to reconnect them and take a big step toward building a better future. Thanks to this major federal investment and commitments by MDOT and the city of Detroit, this project has the potential to create economic opportunities for our local businesses and residents.”

The project will replace the I-375 freeway with a boulevard that leaders say will facilitate economic growth in a predominantly Black area of Detroit that was disrupted by the development of the interstate 60 years ago.

“This investment is going to make a big difference for families and businesses in downtown Detroit by reconnecting neighborhoods to key economic hubs and improving the quality of life for area residents,” Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich) said. “I advocated for this project to be funded because it will not only spur economic growth and opportunity, but also help the city modernize critical infrastructure along the I-375 corridor, improve access to public transit, and address deep-rooted social and environmental justice concerns.”

The Michigan Department of Transportation environmental review cleared the project and received community feedback earlier this year.

“In the 1950s, I-375 paved through two prosperous Black communities and displaced over 130,000 Michiganders and hundreds of businesses,” Whitmer said. “While we cannot change the past, we can work together to build a more just future, and that’s exactly what today’s grant empowers us to do. We fought hard to secure this funding to create a corridor of economic opportunity in Detroit and build on the city’s growing economic momentum.”

Whitmer adds that the state won funding for the project through a competitive process that would not be possible without the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.