Washington Boulevard gets an Upgrade

Large trees were recently transported to Washington Boulevard

On the heels of the announcement by NFL Super Bowl XL special events director, Frank Supovitz, that Detroit's plans are on track to host the big game in February, I grabbed my camera to get some "construction-in-action" photos. This post and the pictures that go with it capture and highlight the metamorphosis that Washington Boulevard (between State and Grand River) has undergone since construction began last fall.


New lamp posts are also a part of Washington's upgrade

Part of Detroit's Lower Woodward Corridor Improvement project is the transformation of Washington Boulevard back to a "real" boulevard - one with a wide median and traffic lanes on both sides. As you can see from the pictures - which I took last Thursday after visiting Bookies Tavern (can't wait for that new patio!) - the so-called "red monkey bar art" has been removed, and large trees have been shipped in to take its place.

New lamp posts, reminiscent of 1920s Detroit, have also begun popping up. In addition, uniquely-shaped cement flower boxes, like the one in the picture below, are being created on both sides of Washington.


One of the empty cement flower boxes that will line Washington Boulevard's sidewalks

For an artist's rendition of what Washington Boulevard will eventually look like once its completed, visit this 2003 Detroit News article. This part of the project is set to be done this summer. Grand River, unfortunately, will not be completed by the time the Super Bowl arrives.

On a side note, if you're going to be driving around downtown anytime soon, I suggest checking the Build Detroit website, which details traffic and construction areas and lane closures. It's a great resource for chronic or upcoming construction information in the D.