DETROIT – There's an ongoing effort by the city of Detroit to make things a little easier for the people who live near where the new Gordie Howe International Bridge will be built.
Jose Guzman said he loves the view from his new energy-efficient windows that were installed on his home. A new heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit was also installed, and Guzman was happy to show them off to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.
Guzman's home in the Delray neighborhood is the first to get upgraded through the Bridging Neighborhoods program.
Duggan said crews are installing insulation, double-pane windows and central air units that filter almost to the level of a hospital operating room.
The plan is to upgrade 200 houses that are within 300 feet of I-75. The upgrades are meant to mitigate against air and noise pollution as truck traffic eventually increases with the construction of the bridge.
A Detroit company is doing the work. Thirty-six other houses are expected to be upgraded by the end of the year in the Delray neighborhood.
The Bridging Neighborhoods effort will cost $6.5 million and is funded through the $45 million community benefits agreement the city made for the bridge project.