Detroit - Removal of I-375

[Plutonic Panda]

Looks like work could begin in 2025:

https://www.roadsbridges.com/construction-planning/news/33003837/mdots-plans-to-replace-i375-in-detroit

Direct link to the open house just held: https://pima.michiganoutreach.org/public/event-registration/search?project_id=106&pe_guid=8d47db79-a631-48dc-b09c-2f691749d679

[silverback1065]

Good to see this highway go, not really useful. my only beef is the new boulevard is way to wide.

[Plutonic Panda]

Good to see this highway go, not really useful. my only beef is the new boulevard is way to wide.

Yeah I'm not really what the point is of doing this to make the area more pedestrian friendly if you're still going to have a boulevard like that.

[paulthemapguy]

I hope the new boulevard replaces one of the streets that had frontage along I-375, and they don't just stick a boulevard halfway between two city streets. That would be stupid to have a boulevard mid-block between two other streets.

[seicer]

A graphic of the plans can be found at https://detroitmi.gov/departments/planning-and-development-department/neighborhood-plans/central-design-region/i-375-reconnecting-communities-project

The boulevard is sticking to the western edge of the project area, with service roads and mainline removed throughout much of the project. The service road will be readapted as a two-lane road between Monroe and Gratiot.

[Flint1979]

I hope the new boulevard replaces one of the streets that had frontage along I-375, and they don't just stick a boulevard halfway between two city streets. That would be stupid to have a boulevard mid-block between two other streets.

What would make sense is to use the service drives as the new streets and fill in the highway and build something on it. It could be a park or you could build buildings on it. And reusing the name Hastings Street would be a good thing as well.

[The Ghostbuster]

I doubt the boulevard will be the boon everyone says it is going to be. I would have rather cap the entire freeway and reconstruct it as-is.

[mgk920]

What was the original plan or that eastward spur?

Mike

[silverback1065]

wasn't M-53 supposed to be a freeway down there?

[mgk920]

wasn't M-53 supposed to be a freeway down there?

That is one of my long-held beliefs, but I never saw any confirmation of it.  Ditto M-8 connecting to it.  OTOH, I can also envision eastward spurs emanating from it.

Mike

[Flint1979]

Yes M-53 was supposed to be a freeway connecting to the Davison but part of the Detroit freeway revolts canceled that. It wouldn't have ran down Van Dyke but instead would have ran down Mound Road. That is why the Mound Road exit on I-696 is so overbuilt, it was supposed to be a freeway to freeway connection.

[Flint1979]

It is my belief that as originally planned I-75 was supposed to run closer to the river. This would be the reason that I-375 exists like it does and it was already built to Jefferson so they put it in use. I-75 curves three times in less than two miles, the interchange with I-375 and the Gratiot connector, the interchange with I-96 and another curve just after the I-96 interchange near the Ambassador Bridge. I think the route along the river was denied and what we have today is what we ended up with. It would make sense for I-75 to go all the way down to Jefferson, curving once instead of three times.

A long time ago i suggested that they remove all of I-375 and I-75 between I-94 and I-96 . This would remove all the freeways downtown except the Lodge. I never thought it was a good idea to do that but I was wishing downtown Detroit looked more like downtown Chicago. The problem today is that Detroit's freeway system was planned and built when the city had close to 2 million people so that is how the freeway system is built, it's overkill for today's population.

[Stephane Dumas]

A long time ago i suggested that they remove all of I-375 and I-75 between I-94 and I-96 . This would remove all the freeways downtown except the Lodge. I never thought it was a good idea to do that but I was wishing downtown Detroit looked more like downtown Chicago. The problem today is that Detroit's freeway system was planned and built when the city had close to 2 million people so that is how the freeway system is built, it's overkill for today's population.

Yeah but however when we count the suburbs and to a latter extent, Windsor on the Canadian side. The metro population of Detroit-Windsor is close to 5 million.

[The Ghostbuster]

I don't think the freeway spur from Interstate 75/375 was planned to be anything more than a connector with Gratiot Ave. Kind of like Interstate 90/94's connectors in Chicago. The ones to W. Ohio St. and from W. Ontario St.; the connector off the end of Interstate 290 connecting with W. Ida B. Wells Dr. (formerly Congress Parkway); and the 90/94 connector to W. Cermak Rd. (with connections to Interstate 55).

[mgk920]

I don't think the freeway spur from Interstate 75/375 was planned to be anything more than a connector with Gratiot Ave. Kind of like Interstate 90/94's connectors in Chicago. The ones to W. Ohio St. and from W. Ontario St.; the connector off the end of Interstate 290 connecting with W. Ida B. Wells Dr. (formerly Congress Parkway); and the 90/94 connector to W. Cermak Rd. (with connections to Interstate 55).

The Ohio-Ontario feeder was originally planned to continue on eastward as an I-standard connector to LSD by Michigan Ave.

mike

[Henry]

I don't think the freeway spur from Interstate 75/375 was planned to be anything more than a connector with Gratiot Ave. Kind of like Interstate 90/94's connectors in Chicago. The ones to W. Ohio St. and from W. Ontario St.; the connector off the end of Interstate 290 connecting with W. Ida B. Wells Dr. (formerly Congress Parkway); and the 90/94 connector to W. Cermak Rd. (with connections to Interstate 55).

The Ohio-Ontario feeder was originally planned to continue on eastward as an I-standard connector to LSD by Michigan Ave.

mike

In fact, the Ohio/Ontario ramps off the Kennedy Expressway were originally planned as the northern terminus of I-494, when it was planned to run along Lake Shore Drive before the Crosstown Expressway plans came along (after which I-694 became the new LSD designation). Only after the LSD freeway was killed off did they end up as they are now. For that reason, the interchange is overbuilt for its current purpose. Same goes for the Stony Island Avenue ramps connecting the Skyway and the 3-way interchange with the Bishop Ford Freeway, as they were also to become part of original I-494/I-694.

[The Ghostbuster]

I wasn't aware those ramps were for those canceled Interstates. True, I did know there was to have been an Interstate 494 along Lake Shore Drive (my 1971 Rand McNally Road Atlas shows it as such), but I assumed the connecting ramps and roadways to LSD were never constructed. I also knew about the 694 designation (which Wikipedia does not mention).

[Terry Shea]

It is my belief that as originally planned I-75 was supposed to run closer to the river. This would be the reason that I-375 exists like it does and it was already built to Jefferson so they put it in use. I-75 curves three times in less than two miles, the interchange with I-375 and the Gratiot connector, the interchange with I-96 and another curve just after the I-96 interchange near the Ambassador Bridge. I think the route along the river was denied and what we have today is what we ended up with. It would make sense for I-75 to go all the way down to Jefferson, curving once instead of three times.

A long time ago i suggested that they remove all of I-375 and I-75 between I-94 and I-96 . This would remove all the freeways downtown except the Lodge. I never thought it was a good idea to do that but I was wishing downtown Detroit looked more like downtown Chicago. The problem today is that Detroit's freeway system was planned and built when the city had close to 2 million people so that is how the freeway system is built, it's overkill for today's population.

Let's not confuse a city's population loss with the traffic going through the city.  As you well know, Flint and Saginaw have lost a massive % of their population the last several decades, but they sure get traffic through the area.

[silverback1065]

  interesting! Didn't know about all of those cancelled freeways.

[Stephane Dumas]

A bit off-topic but a weird idea who come to my mind is the extension of the western gap of Alfred Street to the proposed new local connector while the other part of Alfred St. in Eastern Market could be renamed.

[US20IL64]

In Milwaukee, where the Park Fwy [WI 145] was removed, the extra land was filled with buildings.

[Flint1979]

A bit off-topic but a weird idea who come to my mind is the extension of the western gap of Alfred Street to the proposed new local connector while the other part of Alfred St. in Eastern Market could be renamed.

Alfred Street is in the grid and in the right location all the way. It isn't going to serve much purpose to extend it any. The area there is where the Brewster Projects used to be. Alfred is absent between Beaubein and St. Antoine because of the former projects being in the way. Alfred's never crossed I-75 you can do that at Wilkins or Mack.

[Stephane Dumas]

Alfred Street is in the grid and in the right location all the way. It isn't going to serve much purpose to extend it any. The area there is where the Brewster Projects used to be. Alfred is absent between Beaubein and St. Antoine because of the former projects being in the way. Alfred's never crossed I-75 you can do that at Wilkins or Mack.

Before the Chrysler freeway was built along with the various urban renewal projects, Alfred Street was a continuous street along with the neighbooring streets.
http://gigapan.com/gigapans/147450 

[Flint1979]

Alfred Street is in the grid and in the right location all the way. It isn't going to serve much purpose to extend it any. The area there is where the Brewster Projects used to be. Alfred is absent between Beaubein and St. Antoine because of the former projects being in the way. Alfred's never crossed I-75 you can do that at Wilkins or Mack.

Before the Chrysler freeway was built along with the various urban renewal projects, Alfred Street was a continuous street along with the neighbooring streets.
http://gigapan.com/gigapans/147450

Yes but you don't need that many overpasses over the freeway. Wilkins and Mack work fine in that area.

[Flint1979]

It is my belief that as originally planned I-75 was supposed to run closer to the river. This would be the reason that I-375 exists like it does and it was already built to Jefferson so they put it in use. I-75 curves three times in less than two miles, the interchange with I-375 and the Gratiot connector, the interchange with I-96 and another curve just after the I-96 interchange near the Ambassador Bridge. I think the route along the river was denied and what we have today is what we ended up with. It would make sense for I-75 to go all the way down to Jefferson, curving once instead of three times.

A long time ago i suggested that they remove all of I-375 and I-75 between I-94 and I-96 . This would remove all the freeways downtown except the Lodge. I never thought it was a good idea to do that but I was wishing downtown Detroit looked more like downtown Chicago. The problem today is that Detroit's freeway system was planned and built when the city had close to 2 million people so that is how the freeway system is built, it's overkill for today's population.

Let's not confuse a city's population loss with the traffic going through the city.  As you well know, Flint and Saginaw have lost a massive % of their population the last several decades, but they sure get traffic through the area.

The cities lost population but the population just spread out pretty much. Like with Saginaw, the city had 98,000 in 1960 and Saginaw Township was a rural area, today Saginaw city has about 45,000 and Saginaw Township has about 40,000 everyone just moved further out but the population was still around. I noticed that Metro Detroit is more populated today than it was in 1950 when Detroit was at it's peak population. The inner cities should have done better at fixing the problems that the cities had, I'm not sure that Detroit has ever fully recovered from the 1967 riots I wish it would I'd love to see a city like Detroit booming again.