Interstate 375 Michigan

I-375 Michigan

Overview

Interstate 375 comprises a short spur extending the Walter P. Chrysler Freeway south from I-75 to the Detroit Riverfront in Downtown Detroit. The six lane freeway travels below grade between service streets to Jefferson Avenue, where it turns west and transitions into a surface boulevard at Beabien Street. Unsigned Business Spur I-375 overlays Jefferson Avenue 0.167 miles west to Randolph Street by the GM Renaissance Center.

Showing signs of age, studies were underway on how to address future transportation needs for Detroit when it came to Interstate 375. Six options for I-375 were outlined in 2014, ranging from rebuilding the freeway as a below grade expressway or converting it to a surface boulevard. Costs estimates ranged from $45 million to $80 million for design and construction on the various options. A lack of consensus among city leaders, planning agencies and major property owners by January 2016 led to an indefinite delay on any recommendation of the aforementioned options. Instead the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) continued repairing overpasses and maintaining I-375 as it was.1

Plans to convert I-375 into a surface boulevard resumed and MDOT narrowed the options to two alternatives for a four-lane surface boulevard between Gratiot Avenue and Atwater Street by December 2017.4 The Recommended Preferred Alternative at the December 13, 2018 advisory committee meeting outlined a six to seven lane at-grade boulevard with signalized intersections, bike lanes, a series of crosswalks and a 35 mile per hour design. The interchange at I-75 and I-375 will be removed and new ramps built above a realignment of I-75. Construction for the I-375 Improvement Project was planned to start in Spring 2027.

Part of the overall $1 trillion 2021 infrastructure deal, $104.6 million was awarded September 15, 2022 for the removal of I-375.5 The removal project is now expected to begin in 2025 instead of 2027.

Condition to approval by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved the elimination of Interstate 375 at the Spring 2021 Meeting.

The elimination of the I-375 route designation in Michigan will be effective upon the removal of the facility, which is currently estimated to be in 2027.

History

The proposed Urban Interstate System for the state of Michigan submitted to the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on August 15, 1958 included I-275 for a proposed loop into Downtown Detroit. Due to a changes made in the route of Interstate 75, the recommended loop number 275 was deleted, and recommended for reassignment to the west bypass of the Detroit Area in place of 294. This was conveyed by the Michigan State Highway Department to AASHO on September 12, 1958.

Interstate 375 was constructed at a cost of $50 million and opened to traffic in 1964.1 I-75 defaulted from the Chrysler Freeway south onto Interstate 375 between November 25, 1964 and 1968. Opening at that time was the Fisher Freeway west from Gratiot Avenue (former U.S. 25) and I-375 to 12th Street.2

When U.S. 10 was truncated from Detroit northwest to Bay City in 1986, it was redesignated as M-10 along the John C. Lodge Freeway north from Interstate 75 and Business Spur I-375 south from I-75 (Fisher Freeway) to Jefferson Avenue at Downtown Detroit. Sign changes were slow to follow however, and the business spur portion of old U.S. 10 ended up signed as part of the Trunkline Highway instead.3

Route Information

  • North End – Detroit, MI

  • South End – Detroit, MI

  • Mileage – 1.10

  • Cities – Detroit

  • Junctions – I-75

Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

I-375 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)

Location Vehicles per day
I-375 BS 50,879
I-375 BS to Lafayette Ave 19,243
Lafayette Ave to M-3 32,092
M-3 to I-75 54,963

Source: 2017 AADT – Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Traffic Volumes Map

I-375 at GM Renaissance Center - Detroit, MI

I-375 curves onto Jefferson Avenue ahead of the GM Renaissance Center in Downtown Detroit. 11/06/11

North End  I-75 – Detroit, Michigan

I-375 North at I-75

I-375 north at I-75 - Detroit, MI

A half diamond interchange adds traffic from Jefferson Avenue west and Larned Street, one half mile south of Interstate 75 (Fisher Freeway). 11/06/09

I-375 north at I-75 - Detroit, MI

A second entrance ramp merges onto I-375 north from Chrysler Drive at Monroe Street and the Lafeyette Park neighborhood. Two lanes depart next for I-75 southbound and the Fisher Freeway eastern spur to M-3 (Gratiot Avenue). 11/06/09

I-375 north at I-75 - Detroit, MI

Entering the turbine interchange with the Fisher Freeway, Interstate 375 partitions with three lanes continuing north along the Chrysler Freeway to I-75. 11/06/09

I-375 north at I-75 - 2002

Previous guide signs along Interstate 375 at I-75 included the freeway names. The Elizabeth Street pedestrian overpass here was demolished during construction of adjacent Ford Field. Photo by Dan Garnell (09/13/02).

I-375 north at I-75 - Detroit, MI

Single lane ramps separate for I-75 south toward I-96, the Ambassador Bridge and Toledo, Ohio and the Fisher Freeway east to M-3 (Gratiot Avenue) at the Eastern Market neighborhood. 11/06/09

I-75 South at I-375

I-75 south at I-375 - Detroit, MI

A diagrammatic sign shows the lane allocation for southbound I-75 at I-375 (Exit 51C). I-75 takes the first of three turns in Detroit at I-375, splitting from the Chrysler Freeway for the Fisher Freeway southwest. I-75 turns again at I-96 and the Southwest neighborhood. 11/07/09

I-75 south at I-375 - 2007

Replaced guide signs with Highway Gothic font for Mack Avenue and the split with Interstate 375 south. Photo by Frank Gillon (09/03/07).

I-75 south at I-375 - Detroit, MI

A diamond interchange (Exit 52) connects I-75 (Chrysler Freeway) with Mack Avenue at the Medical Center and Forest Park neighborhoods a half mile north of Interstate 375. 11/07/09

I-75 south at I-375 - Detroit, MI

I-375 provides one of two options to Windsor, Ontario via the tolled Detroit Windsor Tunnel from Downtown Detroit. Located three miles to the west, the Ambassador Bridge crosses the Detroit River south from I-75 and I-96 at the West Side Industrial area. The suspension bridge connects directly to Ontario Provincial Route 3. 11/07/09

I-75 south at I-375 - Detroit, MI

Interstate 75 makes a turn off to stay on (TOTSO) movement at the exchange (Exit 51C) with I-375 and the Fisher Freeway. The Fisher Freeway originates from M-3 (Gratiot Avenue) at the Eastern Market neighborhood nearby. 11/07/09

Fisher Fwy – West at I-75 I-375

Fisher Fwy west at I-75/375 - Detroit, MI

The Fisher Freeway branches west from M-3 (Gratiot Avenue) at Orleans Street and Eastern Market ahead of the turbine interchange with I-75 and I-375. Photo by Frank Gillon (09/03/07).

Fisher Fwy west at I-75/375 - Detroit, MI

Heading west below the Market Street pedestrian bridge, Fisher Freeway splits with two lanes continuing onto Interstate 75 southbound to the Corktown and Delray neighborhoods in Detroit. Photo by Frank Gillon (09/03/07).

Fisher Fwy west at I-75/375 - Detroit, MI

The ramps for I-375 south to Downtown and I-75 north to Hamtramck and Highland Park leave Fisher Freeway westbound beyond the Russell Street overpass. Photo by Frank Gillon (09/03/07).

Fisher Fwy west at I-75/375 - Detroit, MI

Interstate 375 extends the Chrysler Freeway south to Jefferson Avenue. I-75 follows the freeway northwest to I-696 at the city of Hazel Park. Photo by Frank Gillon (09/03/07).

I-75 North at I-375

I-75 north at I-375 - Detroit, MI

I-75 (Fisher Freeway) runs along the north side of Downtown Detroit from the John C. Lodge Freeway (M-10) to Exit 51C for I-375. 11/06/11

I-75 north at I-375 - Detroit, MI

The Fisher Freeway drops below grade as it advances east between the Brush Park neighborhood and Comerica Park (home of the Detroit Tigers MLB franchise) to I-375 (Chrysler Freeway). 11/06/11

I-75 north at I-375 - Detroit, MI

The Fisher Freeway spurs east to M-3 (Gratiot Avenue) ahead of the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood. I-75 northbound makes a TOTSO movement to overtake the Chrysler Freeway from the ending I-375. 11/06/11

I-75 north at I-375 - Detroit, MI

Traffic separates with two lanes continuing east to M-3 (Gratiot Avenue) and two lanes for both I-75 north toward Flint and I-375 (Exit 51C) south to Downtown Detroit. 11/06/11

I-75 north at I-375 - Detroit, MI

Exit 51C separates from I-75 north adjacent to Ford Field (home of the NFL Detroit Lions). Interstate 375 travels below grade from the Fisher Freeway south to Jefferson Avenue at the GM Renaissance Center. 11/06/11

South End / Jefferson Avenue – Detroit, Michigan

I-375 South at Business Spur I-375 / Jefferson Ave

I-375 south at Jefferson Av - Detroit, MI

Interstate 375 passes between the Greektown and Lafayette Park neighborhoods just north of the Jefferson Avenue east off-ramp to Rivertown. The Chrysler Freeway concludes in one half mile. 11/06/11

I-375 south at Jefferson Av - Detroit, MI

Two lanes continue beyond the Lafeyette Street overpass for Jefferson Avenue (Business Spur I-375) westbound toward the Detroit Windsor Tunnel and Cobo Center. 11/06/11

I-375 south at Jefferson Av - Detroit, MI

Interstate 375 south emerges from a series of overpasses along the westerly curve onto Jefferson Avenue at Beaubien Street and the GM Renaissance Center. 11/06/11

Business Spur I-375 / Jefferson Ave – North at I-375

Jefferson Ave north at I-375 - Detroit, MI

Business Spur I-375 (Jefferson Avenue) transitions onto Interstate 375 (Walter P. Chrysler Freeway) northbound at St. Antoine Street. Jefferson Avenue extends eastward to Belle Isle and the East Village community. 11/06/09

Sources:

  1. “Decision on I-375 delayed indefinitely.” Detroit Free Press, January 25, 2016.
  2. Michigan Highways: Highways 250 through 696 (Chris Bessert).
  3. Michigan Highways: Business Connections 96 through 496 (Chris Bessert).
  4. “Project to dismantle I-375, create new Downtown Detroit boulevard could begin in 2022.” MLive.com, December 6, 2017.
  5. “Buttigieg awards grant to tear down divisive Detroit highway.” msn.com, September 15, 2022.

Page updated September 15, 2022.