The Michigan Department of Transportation on Monday described a phased restart of the I-375 corridor project after an executive pause this summer to reassess community engagement, rising costs and long-term safety concerns. Jason Garza, MDOT's Metro deputy region engineer, said the department took the break to "step back" and work with local partners on a path forward.

Garza told attendees the project was paused for three reasons: significant public concern about downtown and residential impacts, escalating estimated costs ("at one time" roughly $350'00million to $360'00million that "snowballed" toward about $520'00million), and the need to get the design right for infrastructure expected to last several decades.

MDOT emphasized a phased approach. Early construction already underway south of Jefferson Avenue is stormwater work: a precast concrete box culvert that will separate stormwater from sanitary flow and outlet to the Detroit River, Garza said. That work is intended to reduce load on wastewater treatment facilities and improve compliance with EPA and clean-water guidelines; the project will add hydrodynamic separators and an annual maintenance program to remove collected silt and oil.

The next phase would build an at-grade boulevard (Jefferson Avenue to south of Gratiot Avenue) targeted, tentatively, for 2027'028, with the Gratiot interchange to follow at a later date. MDOT said bridge and interchange replacement is likely outside a five-year window and could be closer to a 10-year horizon, depending on bridge deterioration and approvals.

Traffic modeling for the Gratiot interchange has identified two to three alternatives to the previously discussed diverging diamond interchange (DDI). MDOT said the models consider 25-year projected volumes and aim to find options that fit the urban fabric better than a large DDI.

Federal approvals and funding are still unresolved. Garza said the project requires Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) safety and traffic approvals for the at-grade design. He also described the federal grant supporting the project as roughly $104'00million (noted in the meeting), with federal rules allowing the grant to cover up to 60% of eligible project costs; any change in scope or schedule prompts federal reassessment. MDOT said it has a "plan B" that layers state bond funds (Rebuilding Michigan) to make up differences if federal funding is reduced.

MDOT and partner organizations said community engagement and the framework for zoning, community enhancements (affordable housing, small-business support) and aesthetic guidelines will guide final design. The department plans a series of community meetings, with a March check-in on what was heard and a June meeting to refine the framework.

The presentation urged residents to review roll plots and 3D visualizations on display and to provide feedback at the meeting or via an online comment form. MDOT said more detailed construction staging and traffic-maintenance plans will be developed during design and shared with first responders and stakeholders.