QLINE Detroit Streetcar

Crews delivered M-1, a $141 million CM/GC starter streetcar system running 3.3 miles along Woodward Avenue in the heart of Detroit. The double-track line connects downtown to Campus Martius, the Entertainment/Sports District, Midtown, Wayne State University, the museum district, and New Center, linking the city's busiest destinations along a single corridor. The project scope included approximately 2.5 miles of full-width roadway reconstruction and the complete replacement of two bridges over I-75 and I-94. 

Need 

Detroit needed a reliable transit link tying downtown to the corridor's cultural, educational, and business districts along Woodward Avenue, giving residents and visitors an efficient way to move between the city's core destinations. This addition will reduce bus traffic, car traffic, and allow for intercity travel to popular venues. 

Work

• Reconstructed approximately 2.5 miles of full-width roadway 
• Replaced the two bridges over I-75 and I-94 
• Built 19 station platforms and OCS and traction power systems
• Installed four traction power substations 
• Integrated train signal and communication systems 
• Upgraded traffic signals and street lighting 
• Relocated public and private utilities 

Impact  

The Woodward Avenue streetcar gives Detroit a new way to move through downtown and reach the city's cultural, educational, and employment hubs along one continuous corridor. Since 2013, the corridor has drawn more than $7 billion in new and planned investment across 211 development projects.  

Innovations  

The completed system carries the most off-wire capacity of any streetcar in the U.S., running without an overhead contact system for 60% of its route and reducing dependence on overhead lines along the corridor. 

Awards 

• 2018 Michigan Concrete Association Award of Excellence 
• 2017 Engineering News Records Midwest Best Projects Award of Merit