Detroit unveils major road repair program
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Detroit road work. Photo: City of Detroit via Flickr
Some of Detroit's most pothole-marred roads are getting repaired this summer.
Why it matters: It's an affordability issue. The cost of owning and repairing a car is going up, and our region's poor road conditions directly contribute to that burden.
- Crumbling and congested roads cost Metro Detroit drivers nearly $3,000 per year, per a 2025 report by national transportation research nonprofit TRIP.
Driving the news: The city used its regular survey of road conditions and traffic volume to determine how to spend $58 million on road and bridge repairs, Detroit Public Works director Ron Brundidge said Wednesday at a press conference.
By the numbers: Contractors — required to employ at least 51% Detroiters, a major plank of the city's workforce development goals — will repave 17 miles of major roads.
- Those include Kercheval Avenue, Chicago Avenue and Oakwood Boulevard.
- Meanwhile, a city-employed crew that's 90% Detroit residents will resurface 27 miles of smaller residential streets.
Plus, other road and bridge plans this year include:
- Demolishing some bridges over the Dequindre Cut.
- A major road reconstruction project around GM's Factory Zero plant in Detroit and Hamtramck.
- Streetscape improvements to make roadways more attractive and pedestrian friendly on West Grand Boulevard near Henry Ford Hospital's new tower, and Michigan Avenue from Griswold Street to Cass Avenue.
- A unique reconstruction of Virginia Park Street from Woodward Avenue to the Lodge Freeway — improvements to the bumpy and historically significant brick road have been discussed for years.
The city is also spending $9.5 million to fix more than 6,000 sidewalk repair requests, WXYZ reported.
What they're saying: Infrastructure improvements are a quality-of-life need the city wants to meet, Mayor Mary Sheffield said Wednesday, and neighborhood growth isn't just about building new developments.