Detroit’s push to modernize I-94 shows commitment to infrastructure revitalization
The Michigan Department of Transportation recently announced that they have taken the next steps in their modernization project of I-94 in Detroit. A notice of intent was published in the Federal Register, showing their plan to produce a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project.
The project was originally discussed in the 1990’s, but lacked the funding to move forward. It was approved in 2004, but no progress was made until 2015 when local officials realized their eleven-year-old plan was insufficient. A lack of funding and hindering permit processes had left the project in limbo for decades, underscoring the neglect our nation’s infrastructure has suffered and highlighting the importance of significant investment and reform.
The modernization project will create new through lanes in both directions on the highway, modernize a number of interchanges, and replace more than 60 bridges by the time it is completed.
The I-94 project is just one example of the thousands of project’s across the country that are in desperate need of revitalization. Repairing our roads and bridges is vital to the success of the our country, and Detroit’s push to modernize I-94 is a prime example of project’s that can be identified to help spur investment and create more job opportunities.
While construction is not expected to begin until 2020 or 2021, bridges such as the Van Dyke, Woodward, and Trumbull are already being repaired as part of the broader project.