View/Download PDF - M

1426 WOODWARD AVENUE
DETROIT, MI 48226
M-1RAIL.COM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2015
Media Contact: James Canning, 313-580-2845, [email protected]
M-1 RAIL’S SPRING CLEAN-UP KICKS OFF AGGRESSIVE 2015 CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE
Specialty curved track to be installed around Campus Martius Park starting Monday, April 20
Visitors still able to enjoy Campus Martius Park during construction
DETROIT— M-1 RAIL has jumpstarted the 2015 construction season with some spring cleaning in
construction zones, laying track in the Midtown neighborhood, and making preparations for the
installation of a specialty curved track downtown around Campus Martius Park beginning Monday, April
20.
During a briefing to the local news media Thursday morning, M-1 RAIL’s Chief Operating Officer, Paul
Childs and Director of External Relations, Sommer Woods outlined the expectations for the 2015
construction schedule, which included: Michigan Department of Transportation’s rebuilds of Woodward
Avenue and the I-94 and I-75 Woodward Avenue overpasses, the Penske Tech Center, and track
construction.
“Keeping the construction site clean and assuring a safe environment are important M-1 RAIL objectives;
it’s the reason our spring construction began with cleaning up the Woodward Avenue corridor around
our work areas,” said Childs. “Last month, we filled potholes, put new temporary striping on Woodward
Avenue to keep drivers and pedestrians safe, and our crew power washed every sign and orange barrel
to help keep the construction area presentable and safe for residents, businesses, and visitors.”
With the 2015 rail construction schedule shaping up to be the busiest yet, Childs said the construction
activities along Woodward Avenue in North End/New Center, Midtown and Downtown will move at a
rapid pace without sacrificing safety. Crews have already transported the first pieces of American-made
steel track onto Woodward Avenue and started installing them on the northbound side of Woodward
Avenue in Detroit’s Midtown neighborhood. He said M-1 RAIL is making good progress on the Penske
Tech Center, which is scheduled to be move-in-ready before the end of the year.
Maintenance of traffic plans in the Midtown neighborhood will remain the same — at least one lane will
be open to both northbound and southbound traffic along with a center turn lane. Cross street and
sidewalk closures will be minimized as much as possible to accommodate local businesses and
pedestrians, but intermittent closures may be necessary. Track and road construction in the Midtown
neighborhood will be ongoing through 2016.
Lower Woodward Avenue Construction & Installation of Track around Campus Martius Park
A phased construction process on lower Woodward Avenue – between Gratiot Avenue and Larned
Street – will begin Monday, April 20 as preparations are made for the installation of a custom-designed
curved specialty track around Campus Martius Park.
1426 WOODWARD AVENUE
DETROIT, MI 48226
M-1RAIL.COM
Woods said her team has been conducting outreach to employers and small businesses in the lower
Woodward Avenue corridor for the last couple of weeks to make them aware of the planned
construction activities. She said the reaction from those they have talked with has been “supportive of
the project and appreciative of everything the M-1 RAIL team and its partners are doing to provide
advanced notice about construction activities.”
As installation of the custom specialty track occurs, one lane will remain open around Campus Martius
Park at all times, and at least one of the four streets surrounding Campus Martius Park (Michigan
Avenue, Fort Street, Cadillac Square and Monroe Avenue) will remain open at all times.
Visitors to Campus Martius Park will continue to enjoy lunches, music and other scheduled activities
during the construction.
Recommended detours around the Campus Martius Park during track construction are:
 Southbound traffic: take Woodward Avenue to Adams Avenue to Witherell Street to
Washington Boulevard to Larned Street.
 Northbound traffic: take Larned Street to Randolph Street to Broadway Street to Witherell
Street back to Woodward Avenue.
“This summer we have planned and booked the most extensive activation and programming in Campus
Martius Park, Cadillac Square and other downtown parks and public spaces in our ten year history – All
systems are go with even more events and some fun new activities!,” said Bob Gregory, President of the
Detroit 300 Conservancy, an affiliate of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. “We want to reassure the
thousands of daily visitors who enjoy the Park and its music, movies, games, food, beach and more that
there will continue to be excellent accessibility to the Park and all of their favorite downtown
destinations throughout the entire M-1 RAIL project. Last year, we saw the great job M-1 did with the
downtown construction in minimizing disruptions and we expect that to be the same this year.”
The planned 2015 lower Woodward Avenue construction is scheduled to finish before America’s
Thanksgiving Parade in November. The four phases of lower Woodward Avenue construction are as
follows:
 Phase One: Northbound Woodward Avenue between Congress Street and the north end of
Campus Martius Park
 Phase Two: Southbound Woodward Avenue between Congress Street and the north end of
Campus Martius Park
 Phase Three: Woodward Avenue between the northern end of Campus Martius Park and State
Street
 Phase Four: Woodward Avenue between Larned Street and the southern end of Campus
Martius Park
“Throughout the entire M-1 RAIL project, we want everyone to know businesses and restaurants located
in the lower Woodward Avenue corridor and Campus Martius Park will remain open and will continue to
need your support. The construction activity will be brief in comparison to the lasting impact to the
downtown area once the project is complete,” said Eric Larson, CEO, Downtown Detroit Partnership.
“The DDP is committed to assisting all businesses, residents and visitors during this transition. For
1426 WOODWARD AVENUE
DETROIT, MI 48226
M-1RAIL.COM
anyone who needs assistance while in the area, we encourage them to contact or stop by DDP’s Detroit
Experience Factory’s Welcome Center at 123 Monroe St. in downtown Detroit.”
The M-1 RAIL construction schedules are subject to change. Visit www.M-1rail.com for the updates on
construction and traffic information.
Donors & Partners:
Bank of America, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Chrysler, Compuware, Detroit Downtown
Development Authority, Detroit Medical Center, DTE Energy, Ford Foundation, Ford Motor Company
Fund, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Great Lakes Capital Fund, Henry Ford Health System,
Hudson Webber Foundation, Ilitch Holdings, Invest Detroit, JPMorgan Chase, Michigan Department of
Transportation, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Penske Corporation, Quicken Loans, The
Kresge Foundation, United States Department of Transportation, Wayne County, Wayne State
University.
About M-1 RAIL
M-1 RAIL is the non-profit organization leading the design, construction and future operation of a 3.3mile (6.6 miles round-trip) modern streetcar along Woodward Avenue between Larned Street and West
Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. An unprecedented public-private partnership and model for
regional collaboration, the M-1 RAIL Streetcar project is the first major transit project led and funded by
private businesses and philanthropic organizations, in partnership with local, state and federal
governments. Visit www.M-1RAIL.com for more information.
###