Atlanta BeltLine Construction Updates: October 2020

Below you will find recent updates and photos of each of our Atlanta BeltLine projects in construction or design along with links to get more general information about each project. All upcoming and past public meetings (still being held virtually) can be found at www.beltline.org/meetings. Our most recent Quarterly Briefing, with updates on all programmatic elements, was held on September 10, 2020. View the presentation and the Facebook Live of the meeting.

Northeast Trail

• Northeast Trail – Central: Spanning approximately 2/3 of a mile, a significant portion of the concrete trail has been poured in the “hairpin” section. Work is underway on the ramp between the trail and Montgomery Ferry Road. Photos of recently completed paving have been added to the album on this page. Design is 90% complete and in final review for additional work that will be required to complete the full 1.2 miles of the central segment. Future work includes landscaping, lighting, and security cameras as well as expanding the multi-use trail for the full length between Westminster Drive and Mayson Street. Construction funding has not yet been identified for future work.
• Northeast Trail – North: Concept design is underway for the southern and northern sections, with a preferred alternative identified for the northern section between the Buford Spring Connector (near Mayson Street) and Lindbergh MARTA station. The concepts were presented at the most recent Study Group meeting and to GDOT for review. We are working through proposed alignments with Norfolk Southern Railroad.
• The most recent Study Group meeting took place May 14, 2020. View the Northeast Trail presentation, recording of the meeting on Facebook Live, and question and answer session from the meeting. Please stay tuned for more information as we engage the public in the process.
• General Northeast Trail information and a photo gallery can be found at www.beltline.org/northeast-trail.

Eastside Streetcar Extension

• ABI has been working with MARTA and the City of Atlanta on concept design and early investigative work to extend the existing Atlanta Downtown Streetcar east to the Atlanta BeltLine corridor, then extending north in the BeltLine corridor to Ponce De Leon Avenue. MARTA is on point for contracting and funding the consulting work for conceptual transit design work.

Southside Trail

• Southside Trail Segment 1: Construction continues along this 0.8-mile section on the western end of the Southside Trail. This section is currently slated for completion by summer 2021. The contractor has built the foundations for the new pedestrian bridge that will cross Metropolitan Parkway. Grading and the installation of storm water infrastructure and retaining walls are on-going at various locations.
  • On Monday, September 28, the access point between University Avenue and the Westside Trail closed for 2-3 weeks as construction crews work on storm water pipes. Trail users can detour between University Avenue and where the Westside Trail crosses Allene Avenue by traveling along Metropolitan Avenue and Lexington Avenue. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience!
  • ABI held a virtual community engagement meeting on August 31, 2020 to provide an update on this project. View the presentation and watch the Facebook Live recording.
• Southside Trail Segments 2-5: Design work by Kimley Horn continues for the unpaved trail between Pittsburgh Yards and I-20. For design purposes, the trail has been broken into four segments that are each approximately one mile in length running west to east and numbered 2, 3, 4, 5. The team is targeting having the design complete by spring 2021 for Segments 4 and 5 and summer 2021 for Segments 2 and 3. Once design is complete, permitting with GDOT and City of Atlanta will commence.
  • ABI was notified in September that we were not awarded a BUILD Grant from the U.S. DOT which would have secured $18 million in funding for Segments 2 and 3. Alternative construction funding has yet been identified at this time.
• General Southside Trail information and a photo gallery can be found at www.beltline.org/southsidetrail.

Bill Kennedy Way

• Medians along Bill Kennedy Way have been constructed as part of the interim safety improvements. Next steps include adding concrete planters to the medians in November and reconfiguring signalization at the intersection of Bill Kennedy Way with Glenwood Avenue and Faith Avenue. ABI is working to finalize an encroachment and signalization permit with GDOT for work to connect over the existing I-20 bridge.

Westside Trail

• Westside Trail extension: In September 2020, ABI announced the selection of Alta Planning + Design to design the segment between the current end of the Westside Trail at Washington Park (at Lena Street) and the intersection with the Westside BeltLine Connector (just north of Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway). The design schedule is anticipated to be 12-15 months. You can download the presentation from the public meeting on Sept. 14 and view the Facebook Live recording.
• General Westside Trail extension info with a full gallery of photos can be found at: www.beltline.org/places-to-go/westside-trail-extension.
• Holderness space: ABI is under construction on a public space and access point in the Ashview Heights neighborhood. A new, graded lawn, flood mitigation, and a 10-foot-wide ADA-accessible path connecting to the Westside Trail will provide residents with a more usable space for community events as well as easier access to the Atlanta BeltLine. Construction should be complete in approximately one month. More info in this video. Until then, the access point remains closed for construction. We appreciate your patience!

Westside BeltLine Connector

• The PATH Foundation has poured concrete for segments 1 and 2 of the Westside BeltLine Connector and installed and refurbished major bridges. Construction is anticipated to be complete in early 2021 on this ~1.7-mile section between Joseph E. Boone Boulevard and close to Law Street.
• Segment 3 is currently in design for ~2.9 miles along Marietta Boulevard ending at Huff Road. Construction is tentatively scheduled to start in January of 2021, contingent upon the completion of other work in the area. A community meeting was held on June 22, 2020 to present updates on this Marietta Boulevard section. View the presentation, watch the Facebook Live recording, and read the question and answer session from the meeting.
• General Westside BeltLine Connector info and a photo gallery can be found at: www.beltline.org/places-to-go/westside-connector