The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is preparing
metro Detroiters for the upcoming reconstruction of I-94.

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The “Restore 94” project, which will begin early next year, is a $353 million overhaul of 12.7 miles of freeway in the communities of Allen Park, Dearborn Heights, Dearborn, Romulus and Taylor and Melvindale — from east of I-275 to west of Michigan Avenue.

MDOT held two public information sessions Downriver this week about the project, where residents shared concerns about construction noise and increased traffic. MDOT says studies are
being done to see how both could be mitigated.

At least two eastbound and westbound lanes of I-94 will be open during the construction, but occasional closures may occur, MDOT said.

The Restore 94 project comes as reconstruction of I-696
has eastbound traffic shutdown from
M-10 to I-75. That closure will last until 2027.

Other headlines for Friday, March 28, 2025:

• The nonprofit Focus: HOPE is partnering with Skilltrade and Detroit at Work to offer a medical assistant training program beginning Saturday, March 29. Eligible candidates must
 have a high school diploma/GED, be 18 years old or older, and
have reliable transportation. Space is limited.
• Arab Women United is accepting artist submissions for their
Arab Heritage Art Celebration in April.
 The event, held during Arab American Heritage
Month, will showcase the creativity of Arab artists. The lineup
 includes live-art performances, henna-drawing opportunities,
 poetry, music and more.
• Madness is still taking over March with the NCAA March
Madness tournament and two hometown favs. The Michigan
State Spartans and the University of Michigan Wolverines have two big match ups Friday night that you can watch at Parlay Detroit.
They are having a watch party that will last until 2 a.m., with live entertainment by DJ Trust. Tip off for the Michigan State-Ole Miss game is at 7:09 p.m.
Tip off for the University of Michigan-Auburn game is at 9:30 p.m.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Tonight on The Detroit Evening Report, we cover new water rates, upcoming road closures and more.

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Lower water rate hike approved

The Great Lakes Water Authority has voted to approve a water rate hike that is lower than it originally proposed. After listening to dozens of public comments, the authority lowered the proposed rate hike from nearly 8 percent down to 5.9 percent.

GLWA Board Member and Detroit Water and Sewerage Department Director Gary Brown thanked the board for working with Detroit’s finance team to decrease the hike.

“We could recognize in our rates in Detroit, it is not as low as most people will want. Certainly, we feel this will fit the needs of affordability in the city of Detroit. So again, thank you for working closely with us to get these numbers down.”

The decision comes a week after an authority-owned water transmission main broke and affected 400 homes in Southwest Detroit.

Legislation proposed to better track students

A new bill that would improve the tracking of students from one school district to another is expected to be introduced in the Michigan legislature.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard helped draft the bill. He says the goal is to ensure that confirmation of a student’s transfer doesn’t end at the request for transcripts. The new legislation is a response to an abuse and neglect case in Pontiac.

“That one school doesn’t presume the other school now has the kids, because what happened was they never actually moved to the new school, and the prior school district just dropped them from their enrollment.”

In the Pontiac case, three children never attended school after allegedly being left alone in their home by their mother for several years.

WSU raises free tuition threshold

Wayne State University is raising the income threshold for a free tuition program. The university is now offering free tuition to Michigan families that make $80,000 or less. The offer is renewable for up to four years.

Incoming freshmen must be applying to the university for the first time and be Michigan residents. Residents must be eligible for the Pell grant in 2025. They must be enrolled full time and have submitted their FAFSA by April 1, 2025.

Dearborn air pollution lawsuit settled

Pro-V Enterprises, an industrial waste processing company in Dearborn, has settled a lawsuit against the city for air pollution. The company has agreed to invest up to $4 million in improvements to its operations to mitigate air pollution by June 30.

The city claimed “fugitive” dust that the company’s trucking vehicles carried was a danger to residents’ health. The company is required to make improvements including planting trees, replacing stormwater systems and annual inspections.

Dearborn to provide free iftar meals

For the first time ever, Dearborn Public Schools will provide free iftar meals for students to take home during Ramadan. Middle and high school students can pick up the to-go meal during school hours, but cannot eat the meal at school. Ramadan starts Friday night.

I-696 closure starts Saturday

As a reminder for drivers, eastbound I-696 will be closing between M-10 (The Lodge) and I-75 freeways for two years starting Saturday, March 1. It’s the final phase of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Restore the Reuther project.

Westbound traffic will be maintained while both sides of the freeway will be rebuilt between Lahser Road and I-75. The project work includes rebuilding the roadway, bridge work and drainage structures.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.