Atlanta Beltline Design and Construction Updates: February 2021

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. These projects play a pivotal role in furthering the Atlanta Beltline vision to be the catalyst for making Atlanta a global beacon for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable city life.

All upcoming and past public meetings (still being held virtually) can be found at www.beltline.org/meetings. Our first Quarterly Briefing of 2021, with updates on all programmatic elements and a focus on the proposed Special Service District (SSD), took place on February 18, 2021 via Zoom and Facebook with a phone call-in option. Watch the presentation on Facebook Live and download the presentation. Click here to catch up on January’s design and construction updates.

The above map shows the status of design and construction projects as of February 2021.

Special Service District (SSD)

Atlanta Beltline, Inc. and the Atlanta Beltline Partnership are conducting a series of community meetings regarding a Special Service District (SSD). Upcoming meetings – and content from past meetings – can be found at www.beltline.org/meetings. The SSD is a proposed district that would provide critical funding towards the approximately $350 million needed to complete the Beltline mainline trail by 2030. Completion of the trail will spur development that will generate new TAD funding and allow ABI to allocate $50 million in additional affordable housing funds, $12.5 million towards a community retention fund, create 50,000 permanent jobs (20,000 more than originally projected), up to $150 million in construction funding allocated to minority-owned contractors, and $7 million in additional support for small businesses. More information can be found on www.beltline.org/ssd2021.

Northeast Trail

• Northeast Trail – Segment 2, Phase I: This portion of the paved, multi-use trail is substantially complete. Reeves Young is in the final stages of construction for the ramp at Montgomery Ferry.  They are installing the guardrail which must be complete before the trail can safety open.  The trail is expected to open for public use in March, if weather allows construction to proceed as scheduled.

Northeast Trail looking south from Montgomery Ferry Road

Northeast Trail looking north from Montgomery Ferry Road

Northeast Trail ramp to Montgomery Ferry Road

• **Northeast Trail – Segment 2, Phase II:**Design and engineering documents for this section (1.2 miles between Westminster Drive and Mayson Street) are 90% complete. Plans now move into the finalizing the construction drawings to 100% and beginning permitting as part of construction readiness.

• Details on each Northeast Trail segment can be found in our design and construction updates section: Segment 1, Segment 2, Segments 3-6.

Eastside Trail

• New solar LED pathway lights are being installed in the trails at significant at-grade intersections along the Eastside and Westside Trails. The low profile blinking red lights will alert trail users to the intersection ahead. Installation is expected to complete this month, if weather permits. The pathway lights cannot be installed in cold weather due to temperature requirements of the adhesive used.

Solar LED pathway lights

Southside Trail

• Southside Trail Segment 1: Construction is slated to be complete along this 0.8-mile section by summer 2021.

Southside Trail construction at Pittsburgh Yards

• United Avenue bridge: A contract has been executed for fabrication and installation of a new bridge across United Avenue. The work will be completed by a design-build firm and they are currently completing bridge fabrication and foundation drawings. It will take three to four months to complete the bridge project including design, permitting, fabrication and installation. The actual installation of the bridge is expected to take 2-3 days. Please see this blog post for detour options that do not require stairs.

• Southside Trail – Segments 2, 3, 4, 5: The design for these segments is at 90% complete. The 90% engineering drawings will be under review starting this month for final comments to allow the drawings to progress to 100% complete.

• Details on each Southside Trail segment can be found in our design and construction updates section: Segment 1 (West Segment) and Segments 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Bill Kennedy Way

• On February 23, ABI’s contractor, Reeves Construction Company, began work on the Bill Kennedy Way bridge over I-20. This is the final part of the interim safety improvements and is intended to be completed in two phases to ensure that traffic flow is maintained at all times. The project will include an 8-foot trail on the eastern side of the bridge that will be protected by a 2-foot, 8-inch concrete barrier wall.  This new section of trail will connect the north and south trail segments at each end of the bridge. More details on timing and traffic flow can be found here.

Westside Trail

• As mentioned above under the Eastside Trail, new solar LED pathway lights are being installed in the trails at significant at-grade intersections along the Eastside and Westside Trails. Installation is expected to complete this month if weather permits. The pathway lights cannot be installed in cold weather due to temperature requirements of the adhesive used. Here’s a link to our informational video.

• Westside Trail – Segment 3: PATH is expected to break ground on Segment 3 in March with a 10–12-month completion schedule. This segment is 1.2 miles long and runs from Brawley to Huff Road, utilizing Marietta Boulevard right of way.

• Westside Trail – Segment 4: This northern extension of the Westside Trail will run from the current terminus of the Westside Trail at Washington Park to the Westside Beltline Connector which is just north of Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. ABI continues to work with the design team (Alta) and meet with stakeholders, including ATLDOT, MARTA, DWM, Washington Park Conservancy, private developers, and surrounding neighbors.

• Details on each Westside Trail segment can be found in our design and construction updates section: Segment 3 and Segment 4.

• Holderness space: Work is now complete on the paved access point and greenspace refurbishment between the Westside Trail and the Ashview Heights neighborhood.

Westside Beltline Connector

• The PATH Foundation is in the final stages of this 1.6-mile multi-use trail between Joseph E. Boone Boulevard and Law Street. An official opening and ribbon cutting is in the planning stages, but the trail is open and in use.

• General Westside Beltline Connector info and a photo gallery can be found at: www.beltline.org/places-to-go/westside-connector.