1. What is the purpose of this phase of the I-94 study?
2. What are the key construction features of the project?
3. What activities will take place during the current phase?
4. Can significant changes be made to the project at this time?
5. What kinds of changes can or cannot be made?
6. Will MDOT take new developments and other changes that have taken place within the project area into consideration?
7. Will there be money available to start the project soon?
8. Will this project be part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) program?
9. What will the cost to the community be?
10. Who or what will benefit from this project?
11. What areas will be most affected by the project?

1. What is the purpose of this phase of the I-94 study?

Answer: This phase of the I-94 project involves the preparation of an engineering report. The engineering report consists of the development of preliminary engineering plans along with a determination of the best ways to:

• Build the project
• Keep traffic flowing during construction
• Minimize the impacts to local residents and businesses
• Resolve any issues that may cause delay or cost increases during construction once all the engineering information is gathered, the engineering plans are complete and funding becomes available, MDOT can move forward with the final design and construction phases. MDOT is taking all the information that was gathered as part of the previous environmental clearance phase and using it as a framework to develop the engineering plans.

2. What are the key construction features of the project?

Answer: I-94 will be widened from three lanes to four lanes in each direction. Continuous service drives will be added along each side of the freeway. All the bridges over I-94 will be reconstructed with the exception of the 3rd, John R, Beaubien, Lucky, Saginaw, eastbound Harper and McClellan Street bridges, which will be removed. The Piquette Avenue and Ferry Street bridges over I-75 also will be removed. The I-94/I-75 and I-94/M-10 interchanges will be completely reconstructed. New entrance and exit ramps will be constructed to provide adequate length for acceleration and deceleration. A new drainage system will be built. Real estate acquisition will be minimized and public involvement processes will be used to seek input on aesthetic design features to ensure that the project blends with the community.

3. What activities will take place during the current phase?

Answer: MDOT will use the information that was gathered previously to further develop preliminary engineering plans and concepts to determine how to best build the project. Specifically, new aerial photographs will be taken and used to draw plans showing the existing roadway and physical features. A detailed engineering survey will be completed. Existing utility information will be gathered and studied. Soil information will be compiled. Then, a preliminary design can be completed. Throughout the process, we will consult with all stakeholders to ensure that any information that was collected in the past that is still valid will be used, while at the same time we will work to gather new information about the project.

4. Can significant changes be made to the project at this time?

Answer: During the development of the environmental impact statement (EIS), all reasonable alternatives were studied and reviewed with the public. The preferred alternative was selected based upon all information gathered, including input from stakeholders. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has approved the EIS, which includes the preferred alternative. The project must be built as shown and approved in the EIS. To do otherwise would require a lengthy restudy process.

5. What kinds of changes can or cannot be made?

Answer: MDOT is interested in seeking public input on any specific project details not addressed by the EIS. With the help of stakeholders, MDOT is developing a corridor design guide that will provide detail on many of the aesthetic and artistic features that could be incorporated into the project. Public meetings will continue to be held to discuss the corridor design guide. MDOT also is working closely with community groups, Wayne State University and local businesses to ensure that project designs adequately accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. The Project "footprint" shown in the EIS cannot be changed. This includes pavement widths, access points and bridge locations, as well as any major changes to the right of way acquisition.

6. Will MDOT take new developments and other changes that have taken place within the project area into consideration?

Answer: Yes. MDOT understands that cities are always changing. Transportation modes and traffic patterns may change over time. This is a complex project that will take many years to complete. MDOT is continually reviewing the EIS to ensure that past decisions remain valid under current conditions.

7. Will there be money available to start the project soon?

Answer: Although this is an important project for MDOT, the exact source of design and construction funding has not yet been identified.

8. Will this project be part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) program?

Answer: MDOT has applied for ARRA funding to construct two key bridges along the corridor. These bridges are M-53 (Van Dyke Avenue) over I-94 and M-3 (Gratiot Avenue) over I-94. Applicants will be notified of the selected projects by Feb. 17, 2010, so MDOT will know at that time whether Michigan was granted ARRA funding for work on these two bridges.

9. What will the cost to the community be?

Answer: The project will be funded using 90 percent federal funds and 10 percent state and local funds, according to state legislation (Act 51 of 1951). The city of Detroit must contribute 12.5 percent of the state portion of the funds (12.5 percent of the 10 percent of state and local funds or 1.25 percent of the total cost of the project).

10. Who or what will benefit from this project?

Answer: This section of I-94 was identified in a statewide study as the section of the freeway needing the most work. The pavement and bridges are in poor condition and carry the highest traffic volumes of any section of I-94 in the state (160,000 vehicles per day). Because of the age of the freeway, many of its design features are outdated. During peak traffic periods, congestion causes slowdowns, with traffic speeds averaging less than 30 miles per hour. The purpose of the project is to improve the capacity and condition of I-94 to support the mobility needs of interstate commerce, as well as the needs of local residents and businesses. All users of I-94 will benefit from the increased capacity, smoother roadway and improved design. In particular, local residents will benefit from the continuous service roads and new bridges over I-94. The service roads will improve the flow of local traffic and will be designed to accommodate bus traffic to facilitate public transit along the corridor. The service roads and bridges will be designed to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists to promote connectivity between neighborhoods.

11. What areas will be most affected by the project?

Answer: From the beginning of the environmental clearance process, stakeholders have made MDOT keenly aware of the need to minimize impacts on the property along the corridor. As a result, the project footprint has been reduced; only 39 parcels of property will be acquired, involving 42 structures. The impacts are located at various sites along the corridor, with some multiple impacts located north of
I-94 just east of M-10.