The Dequindre Cut -- a 1.2-mile non-motorized trail along a the Dequindre railroad tracks -- is finally open.
Excerpt:
Yes, the much-anticipated walking-cycling trail from Gratiot Avenue to
Woodbridge Street measures a mere 1.2 miles. But those involved talked
at length of the incredible challenges of turning a below-grade,
abandoned railroad line, overgrown and refuse-cluttered, into the
object of, well, near-veneration Thursday.
The railroad
tracks, we were told, originally were at grade, connecting the
then-bustling riverfront to points north as far as Royal Oak back in
the 1800s. But as the city grew, the train traffic became an
impediment, and was rerouted, 25-feet below street level. As it is,
it’s thought to be the only below-grade bike trail of its kind in the
country.
But the length of the trail -- with its security
cameras and emergency call boxes -- is touted as less important than its
role connecting the Eastern Market area to the burgeoning activity on
the Detroit riverfront, including the RiverWalk and Tri-centennial
State Park.
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here.
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