Greektown's Beaubien Street reopen in downtown Detroit

As construction continues on the Monroe Streetscape Project in downtown Detroit, Greektown's Beaubien Street reopened on Friday.

"I feel bad for the businesses because they have to put signs up that say 'We're still open," said Shelly Passaqua, who was visiting for the first time. 

For more than a year, Greektown roads have been closed to traffic and, in some cases, to pedestrians as well as crews work to redo the streets. 

"It was really, really loud. There were fences up, it was kind of hard to fit in on the walkway and try not to bump into the construction workers," said Lillyan Orr-Mercer, who works at Astoria Pastry Shop. 

On Friday, Beaubien Street is reopening just in time for two holiday weekends. Orr-Mercer said it's already more accessible as fences come down. 

"Things are kind of more open, and it's really nice to see the progress," she said. 

CBS News Detroit talked with David Crosby, who was overseeing his construction crews on Friday. Crosby said the project is ahead of schedule despite challenges inherent in renovating a 200-year-old street. 

"We found the old trolley tracks that actually ran down here. We also dug up wooden water lines. These are things people don't see," he said. "Now we're assembling, putting the granite pavers down as you can see in the sidewalks and the street, and by the end of the day, from St Antoine to Beaubien will be open 100%." 

There still won't be car traffic on Monroe Street as construction continues, but visitors will be able to use larger pedestrian areas along with better lighting and improved safety measures. Dillan Kesto, who helps run Athens Liquor Store on Monroe Street, said it's great to see the plans come to life. 

"We've been talking about this for so long, so seeing all these people come down, getting excited for how good it's looking, and all the events that we're planning. It's great," Kesto said.