The City of Detroit has received nearly $21 million from a new federal grant for further construction of segments of the Joe Louis Greenway, according to a Monday press release.

The main goals of the project are to cover improvements to the greenway in the Eastern Market and Southwest Detroit neighborhoods and to link the Joe Louis Greenway to the Iron Belle Trail.

A map showing the Joe Louis Greenway and the Iron Belle Trail.
New federal funding will allow the city of Detroit to link the existing Dequindre Cut and Joe Louis Greenway pathways to the Iron Belle Trail in two spots across the city. Credit: City of Detroit

The Iron Belle Trail is a State of Michigan project consisting of a pair of walking and cycling trails that will link Belle Isle to Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula.

Roughly $10.5 million of the funding will go toward extending the Dequindre Cut Greenway north to Warren Avenue. Construction will involve the removal of one lane of traffic in both directions to create a shared-use path.

Detroiter Sharlene Burris lives near the Dequindre Cut and said she is excited for what’s to come. “Just to see the uplift and beautification of our area is so exciting for me. I already use the Dequindre Cut — I walk it, ride my bike on it so I cannot wait until the entire project is completed so I can go from end to end.”

The remaining funding will go towards constructing a similar shared-use path between Vernor Highway and Fort Street as part of the Joe Louis Greenway connection to the Iron Belle Trail.

Dr. Meagan Elliott, deputy CFO of the city of Detroit, meets with a resident during a press conference along the Dequindre Cut in Detroit.
Dr. Meagan Elliott, deputy CFO of the city of Detroit, meets with a resident during a press conference along the Dequindre Cut. The trail will be joined with the Joe Louis Greenway thanks to new federal funding. Credit: City of Detroit Flickr

The full Joe Louis Greenway Project is expected to cost $240 million dollars and cover 27.5 miles from McNichols to the riverfront, connecting Detroit to some of the surrounding communities. It is being constructed in smaller sections that will eventually connect to each other years from now.

“The Joe Louis Greenway is going to connect nearly two dozen Detroit neighborhoods to each other and the city’s beautiful international riverfront, not to mention the cities of Dearborn, Highland Park and Hamtramck when it is completed,” said Chief Operating Officer Brad Dick. “We are incredibly grateful to the Biden administration for recognizing the value of this transformational project and for making this critical investment into the Joe Louis Greenway and the thousands of people who will use it.”

Juniper Favenyesi is a student intern working with BridgeDetroit through Michigan State University’s InnovateGov Program. She’s an area native, and is going into her junior year as a journalism major...