The Gateway Project is a major construction process that took place at the I-75 and I-96 interchange in Detroit, Michigan

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

. The construction was funded by the Michigan Department of Transportation

Michigan Department of Transportation

The Michigan Department of Transportation is a constitutional government agency in the US state of Michigan. The primary purpose of MDOT is to maintain the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interstate, US and state highways in Michigan with the exception of the Mackinac...

 (MDOT) and the United States Federal Government. The Gateway Project construction took place to better the flow of traffic from the United States to and from Canada. The construction ultimately made it easier to access the Ambassador Bridge

Ambassador Bridge

The Ambassador Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada. It is the busiest international border crossing in North America in terms of trade volume: more than 25 percent of all merchandise trade between the United States...

 from Detroit. In 1994, plans were drawn up to change the setup of how travelers access the Ambassador Bridge, but other ramps and bridges needed to be repaired before the construction on I-75 and I-96 could be started. Many people had never heard of the Gateway project until 2008 when parts of I-75 and I-96 were to be shut down.

Purpose

The Main reason for the construction of I-75 and I-96 freeways is because they are part of a vital North American trade route. The freeways need to be functional and able to compensate for the millions of cars that travel the route yearly. In order to compensate for the high volume of traffic the reconstruction of these freeways was much needed. This construction would also help keep traffic out of Mexicantown. With the freeways being so backed up near the Ambassador bridge, many people would take a shortcut through the streets of Detroit and Mexicantown. Once the construction is complete, the freeways should be able to compensate for the amount of traffic in the area.

Process

Michigan Department of Transportation, the city of Detroit, and The Detroit International Bridge Company noticed that the original setup of the I-75 and I-96 interchange was not appropriate for the high traffic volume. In 1994, plans were drawn up to change the setup and improve the traffic flow. In order to complete such a larger construction project other bridges and ramps needed to be repaired in the city of Detroit, before the I-75 and I-96 interchange could be worked on. Four stages of construction were set up. The first phase was started and completed in 2003 with the rehabilitation of West Fort Street from Rosa Parks Boulevard to Clark Street. Phase two was started and completed in 2004 with the reconstruction of West Grand Boulevard over I-75. Phase three was started in 2005 and completed in 2007 with the reconstruction of I-75 and I-96 Southbound Service Drive and the I-96 off-ramp. Phase four began in July 2007 with pre-construction of the project area and continued in 2008 with reconstruction of sections of I-75 and I-96, a new interchange, and a pedestrian bridge of I-75. One mile of I-75 was closed and travelers of this route were instructed to use a detour. The freeway was not expected to reopen until December 2009 but reopened in July. Phase four is not expected to be complete until 2010.

Issues With Construction

The construction of phase four was by far the most extensive. It included the reconstruction of one and a half miles of I-75, reconstruction of one mile of I-96, reconstruction of eighteen ramps, reconstruction and rehabilitation of twenty-four bridges,l construction of three miles of retaining walls, construction of a cable-stay pedestrian bridge, relocation of large water and sewer lines, and reconstruction of major public lighting transmission lines. This part of the Gateway Project brought up a lot of controversy. Since millions of cars travel the I-75 route, the closing of the freeways became a major issue with many of the travelers. The travelers were instructed to use I-94 or I-275 as detours. Another issue with the freeway being closed was that many local business were affected. Since the freeway was closed, travelers could not take the freeway to Mexicantown. Business owners in this area of Detroit feared they would lose business and have to close their doors.

Construction Worker Killed

On Wednesday, September 10, 2008 a construction worker was killed while working on an I-75 bridge. Gilbert Danz was killed for a beam. He was putting up a metal support when a beam fell on his head. Danz left behind a wife and three young children.

Streets Closed and/or Removed

Local streets removed and permanently closed

• Bristol St., Lambie Pl., and Bagley Ave. between the East Service Dr. and 21st.St.
• 23rd St. between the West Service Dr. and Lambie Pl.

Local streets closed or restricted during this stage
The roads below are scheduled to re-open by early 2008.

Open - local access

• The West Service Dr. between W. Grand Blvd. and Vernor Hwy.

Closed to through traffic - local access only

• Bagley St. between 23rd St. and the West Service Dr.
• Lambie Pl. between 24th St. and the West Service Dr.
• Porter St. between 24th St. and the West Service Dr.
• Howard St. between 25th St. and the West Service Dr.
• 23rd St. between Lambie Pl. and Bagley St.
• 24th St. between the West Service Dr. and Porter St.
• 25th St. between the West Service Dr. and Howard St.
• Lafayette St. bridge over I-75

No longer restricted - utility work has been completed.

• St. Anne St. between Lafayette St. and Vernor Hwy.
• Vernor Hwy. between 21st St. and St. Anne St.
• 21st St. between Bagley St. and Vernor Hwy.

External links

• Michigan Department of Transportation