Width of Woodward

[Dexlin]

Totally random question, but since I couldn't find the answer anywhere else...what is the width of Woodward [[in feet) through, say, Midtown? I'm trying to find how wide it was post and pre its widening.

[hudkina]

The Woodward Ave ROW is 120 ft wide [[including sidewalks) south of Grand Blvd, though south of Campus Martius it was widened even more to create the boulevard. Between Grand Blvd and Manchester in Highland Park it is generally 100 ft wide. Between Manchester and Midland its about 120 ft wide. Between Midland and McNichols/6 Mile goes back down to about 100 ft wide. North of McNichols it is roughly 200 ft wide.

[stasu1213]

The Woodward Ave ROW is 120 ft wide [[including sidewalks) south of Grand Blvd, though south of Campus Martius it was widened even more to create the boulevard. Between Grand Blvd and Manchester in Highland Park it is generally 100 ft wide. Between Manchester and Midland its about 120 ft wide. Between Midland and McNichols/6 Mile goes back down to about 100 ft wide. North of McNichols it is roughly 200 ft wide.

When was Woodward converted into a boulevard south of Campus Martius. I had always wanted to know

[hudkina]

It was widened in the late 50's through the early 60's. The 1961 aerial map of the city shows it halfway through the widening:

http://www.clas.wayne.edu/photos/par.../fm-30-125.pdf

The "Cheese Grater" building was constructed in 1959, and I'm assuming that's probably when the road-widening project began as well.

[bc_n_dtown]

When was Woodward converted into a boulevard south of Campus Martius. I had always wanted to know

stasu1213, I just happen to have done some research on this topic sometime last year while working on my transit history website. From info I could gather, the widening of Woodward Avenue south of Campus Martius actually occurred in two phases. The Woodward Avenue [[US-10) State Trunkline project involved widening Woodward from 120 feet to 190 feet, with a center median being added to provide a tree-lined boulevard entry into the city's new Civic Center area.

By June of 1959, the first phase of the project had been completed with the addition of a boulevard between Fort and Congress streets—along-side the new National Bank of Detroit Building [[Chase Tower). This portion was constructed in conjunction with the demolition of that entire block which began in 1956 to make way for the NBD Bldg.

The second phase involved the widening of Woodward between Congress and Jefferson that began with the removal of the buildings along the west side of Woodward in 1959. However, the remainder of the boulevard had to await the completion of the Michigan Consolidated Gas Company Building at Jefferson, which was scheduled to be completed around December 1962.

According to a Detroit News article I ran across, by early August 1963, the center median construction crews were clearing out their equipment in time for the landscaping of the boulevard that was scheduled to begin August 15th.

I've also run across a few online photos showing the area at different stages of construction. If there's an interest, I'll have to dig em up and post em here when I get a chance. Meanwhile, I did post this photo on my website which shows Woodward north of Larned and taken within a few weeks after January 22, 1960. Although the buildings along Woodward have already been demolished, the center islands have yet to be constructed south of Congress.
The photo can be found at: http://detroittransithistory.info/DSR-NewLookParade_1960-c1.jpg

[bc_n_dtown]

It was widened in the late 50's through the early 60's. The 1961 aerial map of the city shows it halfway through the widening:

http://www.clas.wayne.edu/photos/par.../fm-30-125.pdf

Yeap, that May 1961 aerial view was taken between phase I [[1959) and phase II [[completed 1963).