M-10 starts at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Randolph Street in Downtown Detroit, an intersection that also marks the southern end of M-3 and the western end of Business Spur I-375. This intersection is also the access to the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel between the Renaissance Center and the Old Mariners' Church. From here, M-10 runs west-southwesterly parallel to the Detroit River on Jefferson Avenue past Hart Plaza. At the intersection with Woodward Avenue, M-10 transitions onto the John C. Lodge Freeway, which runs under TCF Center, home of the North American International Auto Show each January. The freeway turns north-northwesterly and away from the Detroit River next to Joe Louis Arena. North of the Cobo Center curve, M-10 forms the boundary between Downtown Detroit to the east and the Corktown neighborhood to the west. The freeway has a pair of service drives as it leaves the commercial areas near the MGM Grand Detroit and the interchange with I-75 (Fisher Freeway).