Denver’s 16th Street Mall, approaching 40 years of life, is preparing for an overhaul, and the public can learn more at an open house scheduled for Thursday.

The mall opened in 1982 and was intended to boost economic development by creating pedestrian foot traffic and relieving bus congestion. Approximately 39,000 passengers use the free MallRide each weekday, and there are 200 restaurants and retail businesses on the Mall.

Among the envisioned improvements are the elimination of curbs except at bus stops, new trees and better drainage, and improved surface friction. Notably, the public space between the two lanes of the MallRide will go away, in favor of extending pedestrian and tree space on either side of the roadway. Construction will likely take between 2½ and four years.

The primary goal of the project is to replace aging infrastructure, which includes the pavement, water line and technological components as needed.

The Federal Transit Administration in November issued a “Finding of No Significant Impact” on the project’s environmental assessment. The 2017 voter-approved Elevate Denver Bond Program set aside $13 million for the construction, and altogether the city has amassed $100 million for the project from state, federal and local sources.

The project team will be available in the atrium of the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Building on Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. and from 5-6 p.m. to answer questions and explain more about the redesign.