Whitmer announces federal RAISE grant awarded to MDOT and City of Detroit for the Detroit Mobility and Innovation Corridor

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the award of a $25 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and City of Detroit for the Detroit Mobility and Innovation Corridor (DMIC).

“Today, Michigan’s economic momentum continued to build as the Michigan Department of Transportation won a prestigious $25 million RAISE grant,” said Whitmer. “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. Our leadership in this space continues to grow, building on our legendary Motor City roots. Not far from this new, high-tech corridor, Ford and Google are turning the historic Michigan Central Station into a hub for advanced mobility entrepreneurs, a new wireless charging road for electric vehicles is being built, and all around Lake Michigan, we are installing electric vehicle chargers, to create the best clean energy road trip in America. Michigan is on the move, and every region of our state is creating good-paying jobs and building the future of mobility. We will continue winning competitive grants, growing our economy, and moving Michigan forward.”

The project’s scope is to construct a shared use corridor along approximately 2 miles of US-12 (Michigan Avenue) that will include non-motorized facilities, installation of new dedicated transit, and connected and autonomous vehicle lanes. The project also includes carefully removing, restoring, and reincorporating red brick pavers into other aspects of the roadway’s design in this portion of Michigan Avenue while new red concrete pavers will be placed in the historically designated limits to maintain the corridor’s unique feel.

Including engineering, construction, and contingency costs, the estimated total cost for the DMIC is $50 million with $42.7 million going toward the State portion of Michigan Avenue, and $7.32 million going toward the city’s portion within the project limits. MDOT is committed to contributing $22.7 million toward the overall project costs, or 45 percent of the total.

“The DMIC will provide a more safe, accessible, and environmentally sustainable corridor for travel,” said Paul C. Ajegba, State Transportation director. “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.”  

“This $25 million RAISE grant not only helps to create jobs and boost our state’s economy, it further positions Michigan as a leader in connected and autonomous vehicles and multimodal transportation design," said Zach Kolodin, Michigan’s chief infrastructure officer and director of the Michigan Infrastructure Office. “The governor's leadership in establishing the Infrastructure Office helps ensure Michigan continues to be best positioned to take full advantage of the historic grant and competitive funding opportunities provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law."

Public meetings were held in 2020-21 to consider the environmental, historical, cultural, and feasibility issues early in the transportation planning process.  By creating a safer multi-modal corridor, the project will support efficient and accessible public transit while encouraging low or no-carbon transportation modes. These changes also will also better connect residents who do not or cannot drive to economic opportunities and public services along the corridor.

The project limits extend from M-1 (Woodward Avenue) in downtown’s Campus Martius Plaza to the I-96 overpass on the western edge of the Corktown neighborhood. Construction is expected to begin in 2024.