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[music]
>> NARRATOR: The Michigan Department of Transportation will be reopening a 1.5-mile portion
of I-75 in Detroit in time for the Fourth of July holiday. That's five months ahead of schedule.
The stretch, which runs from Rosa Parks Boulevard to Clark Street,
has been rebuilt as part of the $230 million I-75 Ambassador Bridge Gateway project.
The event was marked by a press conference and community celebration.
>> TONY KRATOFIL: "The Gateway is more than a construction project.
It is an economic development initiative that will help retain jobs, support local communities,
boost the state's $5 billion tourism industry,
and insure that the Detroit-Windsor border remains the route of choice for the $115 billion
in international trade that flows to and from the United States annually, right here in Detroit."
>> NARRATOR: The Gateway project is designed to improve efficiency for commercial traffic exiting the Ambassador Bridge,
remove truck traffic from local streets, and provide future traffic needs.
>> FERN ESPINO: "I can't express enough how vital this project, this particular project
and Gateway project is, has been and will be to southwest Detroit, particularly to Mexicantown."
>> NARRATOR: In addition to the freeway opening, MDOT has also reopened the southbound M-10 ramp to eastbound I-94.
The northbound M-10 ramp to westbound I-94 was reopened last week in advance of the fireworks in downtown Detroit.
>> TONY KRATOFIL: "We are especially pleased that will benefit the residents and business is Mexicantown in southwest Detroit
and the 100,000 motorists that travel here each day.
MDOT has been consistently ahead of schedule during the Gateway construction,
while providing the highest quality work and executing the project in accordance with
the agreed-upon standard specifications and community expectations."
>> NARRATOR: While I-75 will be completely open to traffic beginning the afternoon of July 2nd,
motorists can expect some intermittent closures within the project area during off-peak hours
on weekends in July and early August, including lane closures on Clark Street.
Work on the current phase of the Gateway project will continue through the end of this year
as work is completed on a number of key ramps and bridges.
For up-to-date information on the Gateway project, visit the project Web site.
The Michigan Department of Transportation is dedicated to providing the highest quality
integrated transportation services for economic benefit and improved quality of life.