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Michigan Pauses $500M I-375 Project Amid Rising Costs and Community Pushback

August 12, 2025

Michigan transportation officials have paused the I-375 Reconnecting Communities Project, a $500+ million plan to replace a Detroit freeway with a surface boulevard that was intended to reconnect neighborhoods divided by the original 1964 construction. The Michigan Department of Transportation cited rising costs, durability concerns, and public opposition as reasons for delaying the project that had been scheduled to begin construction this year. The original freeway destroyed the historically Black neighborhoods of Black Bottom and Paradise Valley, displacing over 100,000 residents and erasing hundreds of Black-owned businesses and cultural landmarks.

Who is affected

  • Residents of Detroit neighborhoods including Eastern Market, Lafayette Park, Elmwood Park, and downtown
  • Small business owners in Eastern Market and Greektown
  • Descendants of the 100,000+ residents displaced from Black Bottom and Paradise Valley
  • Black-owned businesses and community institutions
  • Current Detroit residents concerned about potential new displacement
  • Legacy residents of areas surrounding the I-375 corridor

What action is being taken

  • MDOT is halting the planned construction that was scheduled to begin before the end of 2023
  • Transportation officials are reevaluating design alternatives for the I-375 corridor
  • MDOT is planning to conduct additional public engagement before moving forward
  • Nearly 500 residents and business owners have signed letters urging a pause until the project can be redesigned
  • Officials are maintaining their commitment to necessary safety improvements while reconsidering the overall design

Why it matters

  • The I-375 freeway's original construction destroyed Black Bottom and Paradise Valley, erasing hundreds of Black-owned businesses and displacing over 100,000 residents
  • The boulevard plan represents an opportunity to address historical injustice and reconnect divided neighborhoods
  • Without equity safeguards, critics fear the new development could trigger another wave of displacement
  • The project is part of a national reckoning over mid-20th century highway construction that disproportionately harmed Black and low-income communities
  • How this project proceeds will demonstrate whether Detroit can effectively confront its past and create equitable development

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle

Michigan Pauses $500M I-375 Project Amid Rising Costs and Community Pushback