DETROIT (WXYZ) — It's a big day in Detroit's Greektown neighborhood. After more than a year of construction for the Monroe Streetscape project, a stretch of road is reopening.
See the latest update in the video below
We've been listening to business owners and patrons who frequent that area over the past year, and many have told us about their frustrations with the closures.
On Friday, Beaubien St. will officially reopen to pedestrian and foot traffic from Lafayette to Macomb Street, as the $20 million project nears completion.
People are sharing their excitement about the partial reopening, and while there's still work to be done, locals and visitors are already taking advantage of the new walkability in the area.
Watch below: Past coverage on the Greektown streetscape project
“It’s definitely an upgrade that’s been needed here," Akshay Jallury, a Los Angeles resident who is from Detroit, said.
“This almost reminds you of the yellow brick road. It’s really nice man," Kyle Fifield said.
“They’re opening things up like one by one. And, it’s so nice to see people going into the shops and stuff," Jadelyn Chaney added.
Watch below: Past coverage on Detroit's Greektown streetscape project
“Thumbs up. I give Detroit a thumbs up. All money. It’s all money around here," Peter Miller said.
Project construction is still ongoing, but people we spoke to say they're enjoying the wider sidewalks, brighter lighting and easier access to restaurants and bars.
“These are the pieces that you need for a growing city. Make it very walkable, you know, have your food options here. Of course, that’s very important. And yeah, the biggest thing is just not having cars interrupt you when you’re able to walk around and stuff," one visitor told us.
“People have a lot of trouble driving down Detroit. But, with this becoming our walking strip, you’ll see a lot of people that you could not see before come down here and be able to enjoy downtown Greektown Detroit," Xavier Johnson-Baker added.
The full project is set to be complete in the fall.
