Atlanta Beltline Northeast Trail – Segment 2 Now Open!

Nearly 200 neighbors, partners, and supporters came out to celebrate the grand opening of Northeast Trail – Segment 2. Photo by Erin Sintos.

The next 1.2 miles of Beltline multi-use trail is now open to walk, run, and roll, connecting neighborhoods to Piedmont Park, Ansley Mall, and under I-85! Nearly 200 people Atlanta Beltline braved the chilly November temps to join leaders and staff, partners, community members and Mayor Andre Dickens to celebrate the eagerly awaited grand opening of Northeast Trail – Segment 2.

This latest segment of the Atlanta Beltline now provides pedestrians and cyclists with a safe crossing below 10 lanes of I-85, the largest highway crossing to date by the paved trail. Neighbors and visitors can access the newly opened trail from multiple access points: Piedmont Park North Woods, Westminster Drive, Piedmont Avenue, Ansley Mall, Montgomery Ferry Road, and Mayson Street.

People took to the newly opened trail to join the ribbon cutting for Northeast Trail – Segment 2. Photo by Erin Sintos.

At the southern end of Segment 2, in Piedmont Park, Northeast Trail – Segment 1 is currently under construction. When that construction is complete in fall 2024, trail goers will be able to seamlessly connect from the current end of the Eastside Trail at 10th Street and Monroe Drive north to Mayson Street, enhancing access to Piedmont Park and vibrant commercial districts.

With Northeast Trail – Segment 2, 9.4 miles of the 22-mile Beltline mainline trail loop are now complete. In addition, 10.3 miles of connector trails have been completed that tie directly into current and future segments of the Beltline mainline trail. By this time next year, 85 percent of the multi-use trail loop will be complete or under construction.

Bill Compton, a neighbor and President of the Piedmont Heights Civic Association, spoke at the ceremony and said, “We are excited to have the Beltline open in our community, not only for the significant increase in green space, but also for the increased connectivity within our community, to our neighbors to the south, as well as to Armour Yards and – eventually – Lindbergh Center to the north. We celebrate the growth of Atlanta and opportunities this brings to Piedmont Heights.”

Ribbon cutting on the Atlanta Beltline Northeast Trail on November 1, 2023. Pictured from left to right: Justin Cutler, Commissioner, Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation; Sonya Halpern, Georgia State Senator; Matt Westmoreland, Atlanta City Councilmember; Doug Shipman, Atlanta City Council President; Bill Compton, President, Piedmont Heights Civic Association; Mayor Andre Dickens, City of Atlanta; Clyde Higgs, President and CEO, Atlanta Beltline, Inc.; Reggie Roby, External Affairs Manager, Georgia Power; Rob Brawner, Executive Director, Atlanta Beltline Partnership; Jennifer Ide, former Atlanta City Councilmember; Alex Wan, City of Atlanta Councilmember, District 6; Cynthia Briscoe Brown, Atlanta Public Schools Board Member, At-Large Seat 8; Tamara Jones, Atlanta Public Schools Board Member, At-Large Seat 7. Photo by Erin Sintos.

Additional Work Underway

Even though the trail is open, limited work will continue in certain locations. Construction will continue at the very northern end of the trail for the connecting sidewalk along Mayson Street, which involves completing the retaining wall in progress. That is slated to be complete in mid-December.

Landscape installation will start in the cooler winter months, running from December of this year through April 2024.

Selig Enterprises, owner of Ansley Mall, will be building a pedestrian bridge to connect the backside of their retail stores to the trail. This will be the largest gateway to date built by an adjacent developer, Selig Enterprises, and will open up access to the greater Piedmont Heights commercial district. The schedule has not yet been established, but bridge abutments are complete and a sidewalk tying into the Beltline will be poured in in the next few weeks. The area will remain fenced off while crews work.

Additional remediation is needed in a few spots in November and December. The trail will remain open and orange construction fencing and signage will be installed around the work sites.

Ansley Golf Course is installing netting in two locations along the border between the active fairways and the Beltline corridor in order to contain any stray golf balls.

Updates on active Beltline design and construction projects can be found at here.