Detroit Touts $60 Million Plan To Make Over City Streets
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Detroit plans to spend $50 million to improve city streets this construction season —up from $31 million last year.
The city's Department of Public Works announced Wednesday that it also plans to spend another $10 million on road enhancements, including new medians and bike paths, bridge improvements and roadside green infrastructure projects.
This year, Detroit is improving around 53 miles of residential streets as well as 26 miles of major roads.
Crews plan a $6 million project to construct new landscaped medians and bike paths on a 3.5-mile section of East Jefferson. There's also work planned along McNichols Rd., the Rosa Parks bridge north of Lafayette; the bridge that connects Mt. Elliott and Mound and the Lafayette bridge west of Rosa Parks.
[View a list of roads to be repaired, organized by City Council district, HERE].
Ron Brundige, director of the city's Department of Public Works, said all this work is expected to improve the look of the city as well as local travel.
"The roads, especially the major roads, are what residents see or utilize when they are approaching neighborhoods. So having roads that are in good condition is just one of the many things the city is doing," Brundige said. "...And it's just another phase of the various improvements that are occurring throughout the various city neighborhoods.
Green infrastructure projects include work near the Rouge River seek to minimize the runoff of rainwater into the city's sewer system. The city says the $2.3 million project is being done in conjunction with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.
Brundige says streets should remain open during construction, but will have reduced lanes.
Crews were already at work Wednesday, paving W. Chicago between Greenfield and Southfield Rd.
A total of $10.7 million of the funding for the roads projects will come from federal transportation funds, with state gasoline and weight tax revenues being utilized for the balance of the projects, according to the city.
Repairs are expected to be completed by November.
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