A new wave of downtown Detroit road closures began Monday in preparation for the upcoming NFL Draft Experience at Hart Plaza.
The city is reminding visitors and residents to be aware of sites with limited access and where vehicles must be removed from the streets or risk being towed. The free fan festival, presented by Rocket Mortgage, runs during all three days of the Draft, which takes place April 25-27.
The latest changes – including the closure of both eastbound and westbound Jefferson Avenue in front of Hart Plaza – will have the biggest impact so far on drivers navigating around the city.
The following closures will run through 5 a.m. on May 6:
- Southbound M-10 exit to Jefferson Avenue downtown will be closed – Exits 1A (W. Jefferson) & 1B (Larned) will remain open at this time
- Westbound Jefferson Avenue from Beaubien Street to Washington Blvd
- Eastbound Jefferson Avenue from Washington Blvd to Randolph
- Bates Street from Jefferson Avenue to Atwater Street
- Atwater Street from Civic Center Drive to Bates Street
- Southbound Brush Street between Larned Street and Jefferson Avenue
Additionally, all Detroit-Windsor tunnel traffic must use I-375 during the M-10/Jefferson Avenue closures. Windsor-bound traffic should use Jefferson to Randolph to access the tunnel.
Public Street Closures for NFL Draft
Closures in place through May 5:
- Northbound Woodward Avenue from East Congress Street to State Street
- One lane of Southbound Woodward Avenue on the West side of Campus Martius
- Eastbound Cadillac Square from Woodward Avenue to Randolph Street
- Westbound Cadillac Square from Randolph Street to Bates Street
- Bates Street from Cadillac Square to East Congress Street
Closures in place through May 7:
- Randolph Street between Gratiot Avenue and Fort Street
- Monroe Street between North Woodward Avenue and Randolph Street
- Farmer Street between Randolph and Bates (Garage access only)
- Bates Street (no through traffic)
Though roads are closing, all sidewalks are open and access to all businesses has been preserved. The city added that visiting downtown establishments during the Draft build out is encouraged.
Parking access
Access to the Ford Underground Garage on Jefferson Ave. will remain open through April 23.
The city notes with road closures come parking restrictions to ensure adequate space for first responders.
Detroit’s Municipal Parking Department and Department of Public Works is encouraging motorists to pay attention to all parking restriction signs along city streets. The Park Detroit app only notes which zone a driver is in, not whether an area has an active parking restriction. Cars improperly parked will be towed at the owners’ expense.
NFL Draft Experience
The NFL Draft Experience invites Detroit residents and visitors to participate in immersive exhibits and activities including a youth-focused Play 60 Zone; shop exclusive NFL merchandise and score autographs from current NFL players and legends at the Autograph Stage.
In addition to the ongoing construction of the NFL Draft Theater, visitors will see NFL team banners on downtown light poles and electrical transformer boxes painted with the jerseys of Detroit sports legends from each of its professional sports teams.
Road closure updates will be posted on the NFL One Pass, visitdetroit.com and detroitmi.gov.
Fans are encouraged to register on the NFL One Pass app in advance to attend the free NFL Draft.
The city also has transportation updates to assist fans traveling downtown for the Draft, including parking information and details on alternate transit options such as Detroit People Mover, QLINE, DDOT, RTA, SMART, Uber or Lyft.