The Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) 1989 Greater Detroit Freeway Study identified I-94, between I-96 and Conner Avenue in the city of Detroit, as the segment of freeway in greatest need of repair in metropolitan Detroit. As a result, in 1994, the I-94 Rehabilitation Project was initiated.

MDOT is proposing to rehabilitate a 10.8-kilometer (6.7-mile) segment of Interstate 94 within the city of Detroit. The project extends along I-94 (which is also known as the Edsel Ford Freeway) from just east of the I-94/I-96 interchange to west of the Conner Avenue interchange. Within the short distance of approximately 1.9-kilometers (1.2-miles), I-94 intersects I-96, M-10, and I-75.

The purpose of the I-94 Rehabilitation Project is to improve mobility, safety, pavement, and bridges in a 10.8-kilometer (6.7-mile) segment of I-94 in the city of Detroit. The project will also enhance local traffic circulation by separating local traffic from I-94 traffic. The project examines roadway and traffic conditions, as well as developing a plan for rehabilitating this segment of I-94.

The section of I-94 to be rehabilitated was constructed in the late 1940s and early 1950s and is one of the oldest urban interstates in the country. The project portion of I-94 is deteriorating and requires frequent maintenance. It also has outdated design at various segments and interchanges. Obsolete design and high traffic volumes contribute to inadequate capacity, especially during the morning and evening rush hours. The Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) in the project area ranges from 120,000 to over 160,000 vehicles and is expected to grow by more than 35 percent by the year 2025. This growth does not account for future heavy-truck demand, which is difficult to predict. Because of I-94's link to international border crossings and the growing economy in southeast Michigan, the volume of heavy truck traffic on southeast Michigan interstates is expected to grow three times faster than passenger vehicle volume.

After an initial detailed study, of present and future conditions on I-94, it became apparent that any significant redesign of I-94 would likely involve modifications to the freeway-to-freeway interchanges with M-10 and I-75. Consequently, in 1998, the scope of the I-94 Rehabilitation Project was expanded to include the segments of the M-10 and I-75 that encompassed the M-10 and I-75 interchanges with I-94. The purpose of the expanded study was to examine present and future roadway and traffic conditions at these two interchanges, and identify possible design modifications. The design modifications to the M-10 and I-75 interchanges would consider traffic, safety, and environmental issues related to each of the proposed alternatives for I-94.

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