Dequindre Cut
Encyclopedia
The Dequindre Cut is a below-grade pathway, formerly a Grand Trunk Western Railroad
line, located on the east side of Detroit, Michigan
just west of St. Aubin Street. Much of the Cut has been converted to a greenway
; the colorful graffiti
along the pathway has been left in place.
and on to Royal Oak
. The Cut begins south of Wilkins Street (near Mack Avenue and Eastern Market
) and continues at 25 feet beneath grade until it enters the riverfront area south of Jefferson Avenue.
As of 2009, a substantial portion of the Cut has been converted into a greenway. The greenway runs from Gratiot Avenue south to Woodbridge Street, between Jefferson Avenue and the Detroit River
. Future plans call for the extension of the greenway to encompass the entire Dequindre Cut, extending further along the railroad right-of-way north to Mack Avenue and south to the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor
along the International Riverfront
.
The greenway currently houses a paved path with separate lanes for both pedestrians and bicycles. Access ramps to the Cut have been constructed at Lafayette Street and Gratiot Avenue. Graffiti on the bridge abutments along the trail were intentionally left in place during the construction of the greenway. Construction project manager Michael Dempsey said in 2007, "Unless it is obscene or offensive, our policy is to leave it in place. We also want to encourage new works to the extent that the artists are willing to do that -- as long as they pick up their aerosol cans after themselves!"
, a predecessor of Canadian National Railway
subsidiary Grand Trunk Western Railroad
. By the 1920s, there were over 400 industries operating on Detroit's east side. However, the combination of the city's haphazard streetplan, the expansion of large factories, and the substantial network of rail tracks conspired to slow traffic within the city, particularly in the east-west direction. In 1923, the city of Detroit and the railroad began a plan to build 22 grade separations; both parties agreed to share the cost.
One of the tracks to be regraded was the line paralleling St. Aubin. These tracks ran from the northwest, where they connected with a network of other lines, to the southeast, where the tracks turned to parallel the river and supplied a number of large factories, including the Detroit-Michigan Stove Plant, the United States Rubber Company Plant, and the Parke-Davis Laboratories. The tracks terminated at the Brush Street Depot in downtown Detroit.
By March 1930, sixteen of the crossings of the Dequindre Cut were finished, including the Chestnut Street Bridge; the nearby Antietam Avenue Bridge was completed soon thereafter. These two bridges are particularly significant in their illustration of the construction of the time and their relationship to the right-of-way below.
As the century progressed, rail usage declined. Passenger service through the Cut was discontinued in 1982, and freight service continued only a few years beyond that. In 1998-2000, Canadian National sold the 3.5-mile section of track (including the Cut) south of their main line. During this time of abandonment, the Dequindre Cut was used by graffiti
artists, attracted by the concrete bridge abutments and overpasses which protected the art from the weather, as well as the out-of-the-way location. The resulting art included some graffiti masterpieces.
In the late 1990s when casino
s were first authorized to be built in Detroit, the Dequindre Cut was considered as a freeway access to their proposed riverfront location. However, the casinos were built elsewhere, leaving the fate of the Dequindre Cut open. In 2003, the GreenWays Initiative granted the Downtown Detroit Partnership $98,750 to put plans in motion to remake the Dequindre Cut as a greenway. The project was later funded by another $3.4 million in grants, and groundbreaking began in 2005. The first stretch of greenway, a 1.2 mile section encompassing most of the Dequindre Cut, opened in 2009.
Grand Trunk Western Railroad
The Grand Trunk Western Railroad is an important subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway , constituting the majority of CN's Chicago Division ....
line, located on the east side of Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
just west of St. Aubin Street. Much of the Cut has been converted to a greenway
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
; the colorful graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
along the pathway has been left in place.
Description
The railroad line that once ran through the Dequindre Cut runs roughly northwest/southeast at street level through HamtramckHamtramck, Michigan
Hamtramck is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 22,423. Hamtramck is surrounded by the city of Detroit except for a small portion of the western border that touches the similarly surrounded city of Highland Park...
and on to Royal Oak
Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 57,236. It should not be confused with Royal Oak Charter Township, a separate community located nearby....
. The Cut begins south of Wilkins Street (near Mack Avenue and Eastern Market
Eastern Market Historic District
Eastern Market is a historic commercial district in Detroit, Michigan. It is located approximately one mile northeast of the city's downtown and is bordered on the south by Gratiot Avenue, the north by Mack Avenue, the east by St. Aubin Street, and the west by the Chrysler Expressway...
) and continues at 25 feet beneath grade until it enters the riverfront area south of Jefferson Avenue.
As of 2009, a substantial portion of the Cut has been converted into a greenway. The greenway runs from Gratiot Avenue south to Woodbridge Street, between Jefferson Avenue and the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
. Future plans call for the extension of the greenway to encompass the entire Dequindre Cut, extending further along the railroad right-of-way north to Mack Avenue and south to the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor
William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor
The William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor is a state park in Michigan, and the state's first to be located in an urban area. Located just east of downtown Detroit along a portion of the city's International Riverfront, it covers on the Detroit River, and includes a 52-slip harbor of refuge...
along the International Riverfront
Detroit International Riverfront
The Detroit International Riverfront is an area of Detroit, Michigan that borders the Detroit River. The International Riverfront area extends from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Belle Isle in the east, extending a total of 5½-miles and encompassing a multitude of parks, restaurants, retail...
.
The greenway currently houses a paved path with separate lanes for both pedestrians and bicycles. Access ramps to the Cut have been constructed at Lafayette Street and Gratiot Avenue. Graffiti on the bridge abutments along the trail were intentionally left in place during the construction of the greenway. Construction project manager Michael Dempsey said in 2007, "Unless it is obscene or offensive, our policy is to leave it in place. We also want to encourage new works to the extent that the artists are willing to do that -- as long as they pick up their aerosol cans after themselves!"
History
The rail line was built in the 1830s by the Detroit and Pontiac RailroadDetroit and Pontiac Railroad
The Detroit and Pontiac Railroad is a defunct railroad which operated in the state of Michigan during the mid-nineteenth century. It was the sixth railroad to receive a charter from Michigan, then a territory, and the second, after the Erie & Kalamazoo, to actually operate trains.The first attempt...
, a predecessor of Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
subsidiary Grand Trunk Western Railroad
Grand Trunk Western Railroad
The Grand Trunk Western Railroad is an important subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway , constituting the majority of CN's Chicago Division ....
. By the 1920s, there were over 400 industries operating on Detroit's east side. However, the combination of the city's haphazard streetplan, the expansion of large factories, and the substantial network of rail tracks conspired to slow traffic within the city, particularly in the east-west direction. In 1923, the city of Detroit and the railroad began a plan to build 22 grade separations; both parties agreed to share the cost.
One of the tracks to be regraded was the line paralleling St. Aubin. These tracks ran from the northwest, where they connected with a network of other lines, to the southeast, where the tracks turned to parallel the river and supplied a number of large factories, including the Detroit-Michigan Stove Plant, the United States Rubber Company Plant, and the Parke-Davis Laboratories. The tracks terminated at the Brush Street Depot in downtown Detroit.
By March 1930, sixteen of the crossings of the Dequindre Cut were finished, including the Chestnut Street Bridge; the nearby Antietam Avenue Bridge was completed soon thereafter. These two bridges are particularly significant in their illustration of the construction of the time and their relationship to the right-of-way below.
As the century progressed, rail usage declined. Passenger service through the Cut was discontinued in 1982, and freight service continued only a few years beyond that. In 1998-2000, Canadian National sold the 3.5-mile section of track (including the Cut) south of their main line. During this time of abandonment, the Dequindre Cut was used by graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
artists, attracted by the concrete bridge abutments and overpasses which protected the art from the weather, as well as the out-of-the-way location. The resulting art included some graffiti masterpieces.
In the late 1990s when casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s were first authorized to be built in Detroit, the Dequindre Cut was considered as a freeway access to their proposed riverfront location. However, the casinos were built elsewhere, leaving the fate of the Dequindre Cut open. In 2003, the GreenWays Initiative granted the Downtown Detroit Partnership $98,750 to put plans in motion to remake the Dequindre Cut as a greenway. The project was later funded by another $3.4 million in grants, and groundbreaking began in 2005. The first stretch of greenway, a 1.2 mile section encompassing most of the Dequindre Cut, opened in 2009.
External links
- Dequindre Cut map from the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.