(courtesy of M-1 Rail)
After numerous hiccups and recent news about possible funding concerns, M-1 Rail project organizers announced that construction of the 3.3-mile transit line along Woodward Avenue will begin July 28, with a full closure of Woodward Avenue between Adams Street and Campus Martius Park planned for about 120 days.
In a statement issued today, Paul Childs, M-1 Rail COO, said: "Over the next thirty days our team will be pounding pavement to make everyone who lives, works and visits the Woodward corridor aware of what they should expect from track construction and how to navigate around it once we begin on July 28th."
Childs said a business support program will be introduced in the coming weeks with additional details about construction and timelines. The Michigan Department of Transportation and DTE Energy may start complementary work during the middle of next month, according to a press release, and "will only require limited lane closures."
The streetcar system, which will service 12 stops between Larned Street and West Grand Boulevard, is expected to be completed in late 2016.
M-1 Rail organizers also scheduled two public meetings for next month about the project. On July 1, a Midtown business stakeholder will be held at the Max M. Fisher Music Theater, located at 3711 Woodward, from 8 to 9:30 a.m; on July 2, business owners in the central downtown district can meet at the Madison Building, located at 1555 Broadway Street, from 6 to 8 p.m.
