(WXYZ) — The State of Michigan and U.S. Department of Transportation announced the City Detroit and the state are getting a $25 million grant for what is called the Detroit Mobility and Innovation Corridor.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made the announcement early Thursday morning, and said the money is from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant.
According to the state, the project aims to create a shared use corridor along about two miles of Michigan Ave. that will include non-motorized facilities, the installation of dedicated transit, and connected and autonomous vehicle lanes.
The Detroit Mobility and Innovation Corridor will also include removing, restoring and reincorporating red brick pavers and other aspects of the roadway's design in Corktown. It's near the Michigan Central Station, which Ford is planning to use as an autonomous vehicle hub. The estimated total cost of the DMIC is $50 million.
“This investment will make Michigan Avenue through Corktown more accessible, facilitating ongoing residential and commercial development in the area. Getting this done will create and support good-paying construction and auto-related jobs and ensure that Michigan continues leading the future of mobility," Whitmer said in a statement.
“The DMIC will provide a more safe, accessible, and environmentally sustainable corridor for travel,” State Transportation Director Paul C. Ajegba added in a statement. “Improving pedestrian space and crossings, raising protected bike lanes to sidewalk level, and providing dedicated transit and connected vehicle lanes will simultaneously enhance comfort and safety for non-motorized users while providing an infrastructure platform for the next generation of electric and connected mobility.”
