Detroit Advances Plans for I-75 Cap Project To Reconnect Downtown With Northern Neighborhoods

Detroit will build caps over I-75. This project aims to remove the barrier that divides downtown from northern neighborhoods. The study area runs from Third Avenue on the west to Brush Street on the east.

Residents selected a concept design last year. Now engineers are determining how each component will function. The Downtown Detroit Partnership, the city, and the Michigan Department of Transportation started developing plans to cap the highway in 2024.

"It's not going to feel like a highway anymore. It's going to feel like you're on top of a park," said James Fidler, an urban innovation strategist with the Downtown Detroit Partnership, according to WXYZ.

The caps will create bridges over the highway. Parks and public spaces will sit on top. Three locations have been identified, each with different purposes. The East cap will be for neighborhood gatherings, the Central cap for entertainment, and the West cap for daily activities.

Dozens of people from the area attended the fifth public meeting to discuss plans. The team is reviewing design options that include lane reductions, pedestrian crossings, and bike lanes to improve safety and connectivity.

I-75 was built through downtown in the 1950s. Businesses and residents were pushed out when the freeway split the neighborhood.

Not all residents support the current proposal. Michael Cassin wants the entire freeway covered. He raised concerns about health problems from traffic exhaust for the thousand residents who live in the area.

The project is halfway through the feasibility study. Right now, the focus is on transportation design and environmental features. Interactive park design and access workshops will continue as part of phase two. Once the design is finished, securing funding is the next step. If everything goes as planned, construction could begin in 2028.