June 27, 2014 --

Construction on M-1 Rail, the 3.3-mile streetcar line from downtown to the New Center area, is expected to begin July 28 with a full, 120-day shutdown of a stretch of Woodward, its organizers said this morning.

The $140-million rail line is scheduled to be up and running by late 2016, with 16 curbside stops and four in medians on the route between Larned Street and West Grand Boulevard. It's being funded largely with corporate and philanthropic donations, although the federal government has granted some money to the project.

M-1 Rail leaders said Woodward will close between Adams Street and Campus Martius for about three months. The work will be the most visible sign of progress yet for a project that backers say will help lay the groundwork for future investment in mass transit in metro Detroit and spur redevelopment along Woodward.

"Over the next thirty days our team will be pounding the pavement to make everyone who lives, works and visits the Woodward corridor aware of what they should expect from track construction and how to navigate around it once we begin on July 28th," Paul Childs, M-1 Rail's chief operating officer, said in a statement today. "We are moving quickly to provide information and resources to businesses and residents along the corridor. There will be a business support program that we will introduce in the coming weeks along with more details about construction activities and timelines as they are finalized."

M-1 Rail will hold two meetings with businesses and others impacted by the construction: July 1 for Midtown companies at the Max M. Fisher Music Theater, 3711 Woodward, 8-9:30 a.m; and for the Central Business District at The Madison, 1555 Broadway , 6-8 p.m.

More information is available at 800-511-3931, M-1 Rail's Facebook and Twitter accounts and at M-1 Rail's office at 1426 Woodward, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Contact Matt Helms: 313-222-1450 or mhelms@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: www.twitter.com/matthelms.