Brief History of the Trail

 

 

In 1998, the Canadian National Railroad put up for sale a 24-mile section of railroad for $5.4 million. Several Macomb County residents who saw the old railroad as a possible transportation and recreation resource came up with the idea of the Macomb Orchard Trail.

In 1998, the Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail (FOTMOT) group was formed. Their mission became converting the abandoned railroad corridor into a trail and set about building community support and raising money for the purchase and development of the trail.

The FOTMOT rallied the support of leaders from several of the communities located along the trail. This group then asked the Macomb County Board of Commissioners for help in purchasing the trail. The Commissioners worked hard to negotiate the price of the abandoned railroad down to $3.5 million, which was financed by a loan from the Trust for Public Land.

In 2001, the “Macomb Orchard Trail Commission” (MOTC) was formed. They were given the responsibility of developing and providing ongoing maintenance for the trail. Members include representatives from three of the eight municipalities through which the former railway runs, a County commissioner and a member of the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority.

In 2002, the MOTC hired a planning consulting firm to draw up a master plan for the trail. The goal of the plan was to provide a safe and attractive trail for users.

In 2003, an engineering firm hired by MOTC prepared specifications for developing Phase I of the Macomb Orchard Trail. This six-mile stretch begins at 24 Mile Road and Dequindre in Shelby Township and ends at 29 Mile Road and Van Dyke in Washington Township. The project was completed in the summer of 2004.

 

In 2005, The Macomb Orchard Trail Commission began engineering of the final 17 miles of trail. Construction of this phase is scheduled to begin in the late summer of 2006.