Bridge Work and Road Closures to Take Place in March 2012: Part of Ponce de Leon Ave to be Closed for Two Weekends & Part of Ralph McGill to be Closed for One Month
Atlanta, February 27, 2012 – The Eastside Trail project, now under construction, spans more than two miles from the tip of Piedmont Park to Inman Park and the Old Fourth Ward neighborhoods. It is the next major component of the Atlanta BeltLine slated to open to the public. This project includes a 14-foot wide multi-use concrete trail for walking, running, biking and skating, as well as a significant amount of underground infrastructure to accommodate current and future utilities. It also includes retaining walls, landscaping and the preservation of right of way for the transit system which will be built in the future. The Eastside Trail is the first part of the trail system to be built within the old rail corridor, which will eventually connect 45 neighborhoods.
During the month of March 2012, there will be road closures on Ralph McGill Boulevard and Ponce de Leon Avenue due to construction on bridges above these two roadways as part of the construction of the Eastside Trail.
Ralph McGill Bridge:
A new bridge over Ralph McGill Boulevard will be installed next to the old bridge that previously carried freight rail. As a result, the stretch of Ralph McGill Boulevard between Freedom Parkway and Ashley Avenue (near Copenhill Lofts, Freedom Heights Lofts and Block Lofts) will be closed for 30 days starting on February 29, 2012. Drivers should anticipate only minor disruption; appropriate signage will clearly indicate detours for through traffic
Ponce de Leon Bridge:
The Ponce de Leon Bridge will be remediated, retrofitted and repainted as part of the construction. Beginning the weekend of March 25, 2012, the bridge will be raised off of its existing abutments to arrange for construction. The stretch of road between Ponce de Leon Place and the Midtown Place shopping Center (across from Ponce City Market) will be closed from March 23 through 26 and again from March 30 through April 1, 2012. The closures will start at 9 p.m. on Friday evening and will reopen by 5 a.m. Monday morning. Road signs will be in place two weeks before the closures to alert drivers on Ponce de Leon Avenue.
While the bridge is raised, crews will install decking and scaffolding to protect cars and pedestrians, remove old paint, prime the metal, and repaint it. The bridge will then be fitted with unobtrusive security fencing as required by the Georgia DOT. Additional weekend closures can be expected to lower the bridge and complete construction of the Eastside Trail. Public notification will occur several weeks before construction.
Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. appreciates the public’s patience and understanding while work continues on this transformative project. With work concluded on these two critical bridges, the projected completion date for the Eastside Trail from 10th Street and Monroe Drive to Irwin Street and Lake Avenue is summer 2012.
Later in 2012, work will begin on the Edgewood Avenue Bridge over the Atlanta BeltLine. Road closures for that project will be announced as soon as they are known.
Please visit eastsidetrail.beltline.org for frequent updates.
About the Atlanta BeltLine:
The Atlanta BeltLine is the most comprehensive economic development effort ever undertaken in the City of Atlanta and among the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment projects currently underway in the United States. The Atlanta BeltLine is a sustainable redevelopment project that will provide a network of public parks, multi-use trails, transit and affordable housing along a historic 22-mile railroad corridor circling downtown and connecting many neighborhoods directly to each other. Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI), formed by Invest Atlanta (formerly The Atlanta Development Authority), is the entity tasked with planning and executing the implementation of the Atlanta BeltLine in partnership with other public and private organizations, including City of Atlanta departments. For more information on the Atlanta BeltLine, please visit www.BeltLine.org.
CONTACT:
Ethan Davidson, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.
(404) 614-8325, edavidson@atlbeltLine.org
