By the 1920s, the explosive growth of industry was causing problems that the City of Detroit had to confront. Rail shipping through Milwaukee Junction was causing extended delays and backups of traffic at street crossings. The rail companies partnered with the city to create “grade separation” at these crossings, raising the railways fourteen feet and lowering the streets under viaducts. For factories along the rails like the Ford Piquette Plant, this also required building new higher loading ramps.
