MDOT, City of Detroit to Revitalize Michigan Avenue with Streetscape Improvements

One of Detroit's most frequently traveled roadways is about to receive a multimillion-dollar improvement.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the City of Detroit aim to revitalize the streetscape of Michigan Avenue. Based on feedback from residents and business owners, MDOT has made several adjustments to its original streetscape plan. The project will span a stretch from Interstate 96 to Campus Martius. 

Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2026. The project, estimated at approximately $70 million, will focus on improving lighting, sidewalks, utilities, and traffic infrastructure.

Corktown resident and business owner Taurean Thomas told Local 4 News Detroit, “It's time to get a more modern look to it, but also, I want to keep the original heritage of Corktown.” Thomas, however, expressed concerns about road construction's impacts on area businesses. 

“I think the Corktown community wants Michigan Avenue to be a main street, not a thoroughfare,” MDOT spokesperson Rob Morosi explained to Local 4 News Detroit. “So that's why we're shortening the crossing distance for pedestrians and putting in wider sidewalks.”

Plans for the project also involve addressing the brickwork that lines the road surface. Morosi confirmed that the project will include replacing the bricks in some of the road's “historically significant sections.”

Department of Public Works (DPW) Deputy Director Sam Krassenstein stated, “There will be some new bricks on Michigan Avenue, and then we'll be taking all of the old bricks and repurposing them along the corridor into a streetscape and a facade so that we keep that essential character in the neighborhood as part of the project.”

The DPW estimates that approximately 25% of the existing bricks are salvageable.  The project's developers are seeking public feedback on how best to use them.