Customers in the Core City, historic Corktown, Hubbard Richard, Jeffries, North Corktown and Woodbridge neighborhoods of Detroit will soon begin seeing improved electric reliability in their area.
Over the past few months, DTE crews have been working in alleyways primarily along the south side of Michigan Avenue, as well as some alleyways along Dalzelle, Vermont and Wabash Streets to upgrade the infrastructure that powers homes and businesses.
Here’s what we’ve accomplished so far.
At the end of 2022, our arborists began trimming trees along power lines to clear the way for system improvements. This work is not only necessary, but it also is beneficial to customers because tree trimming improves reliability for customers right away. To date, our arborists have trimmed just over 16 miles of trees, and the trimming is nearly complete.
Additionally, crews have replaced approximately 90 utility poles and installed new cables and transformers in the area. You may notice poles directly next to other poles as shown in the photos above — do not worry, we will remove the old poles before the work is complete.
Why are you doing this work?
These improvements are part of DTE’s $165 million investment to convert customers to a new electrical distribution system, which is comprised of the equipment that helps deliver power from a local substation to homes and businesses in the area, like poles, wires, transformers, etc. The new system will improve reliability and safety and will have greater capacity to support customers’ growing energy needs. Read more about how this project will benefit thousands of customers in the area.
What’s next?
We will continue to upgrade infrastructure in and around the Corktown and West Riverfront areas of Detroit over the next few years. We expect the work to be completed by December 2027. To see what residents, businesses and visitors can expect during the conversion process, visit empoweringmichgian.com/what-to-expect.
Read more about reliability upgrades in your area at empoweringmichgian.com/reliability-improvements.