Not many folks remember when Cleveland’s underground subway system was active, extending service to the West Side and throughout the downtown for decades until coming to a halt in 1954.

Yet, several times a year, the Cuyahoga County Engineer’s Office opens the tunnels to the public, allowing locals a glimpse into a world beneath Cleveland’s streets that otherwise remains vacant and shuttered.

Here are a few photos from one such visit, courtesy of local photographer Jeffrey R. Stroup. 


This article appears in Oct 15-21, 2014.

Alaina Nutile is the Web Editor who oversees all digital content and social media initiatives for Cleveland Scene Magazine and Detroit Metro Times. Before joining the staff in June 2013, she interned at Business Insider in New York City, and at La Hora in Quito, Ecuador. Alaina is a graduate of Kalamazoo College in Michigan, where she double majored in English and Spanish. Her interests include Japanese food, Breaking Bad, and career development advising.

9 replies on “13 Photos of Cleveland’s Deserted Detroit-Superior Underground Subway”

  1. Cleveland never had a subway system. Those photos are simply the lower level of the Detroit-Superior Bridge which was used by streetcars until 1954. There was never any subway throughout downtown.

  3. I agree,it`s the bottom level of the bridge. I thought it was set up for the rapid transit but never opened,not sure .and auto traffic,maybe thats what i read. The pics are so cool!

  4. We video taped damage there for the county engineers back in the late 70’s. Crumbling concrete falling in the river, on boats etc.

  6. The entrance was at 25th St. and Detroit Ave. If I remember my directions correctly, it would’ve been on the northwest corner. I rode it many, many times, including being on the very last streetcar that used the bottom level of the bridge. That would have been early 50s. As grade school kids, we used to open the windows and look down at our birds eye view of the river. Wow! I must be getting old!

  7. I’ve been wanting to see that but always find out that it was open for tours AFTER the fact. Anyone know when the next tours will occur?

  8. My grandmother had pictures of the streetcars coming up from the end at Detroit and 25th she showed me…it was real and kinda creepy!

  9. And, do you know why it was abandoned? Cleveland made steel, and shipped that steel to Detroit which made cars with it. The car companies looked at Cleveland and said “Public transit? Get rid ofit or we’ll get our steel elsewhere.” Now we could use a good public transportation system .
    I

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