ATLANTA — Atlanta BeltLine will have a new segment that nearby residents have been using unofficially for years.
The undeveloped segment opening on Wednesday is described by residents as a "hidden gem."
"It’s in the city, which is beautiful," said Penny Walter, who uses the segment frequently. "It’s a forest located in the city. It’s an incredible hidden gem."
The not-so-new stretch runs behind Ansley Mall, past a golf course and out to a bridge crossing SR13 / Buford-Spring Connector and a tunnel going under I-85. The section then comes to a halt at a series of busy railroad tracks.
Moshe Gittelson who lives in Ansley Park and has grown accustomed to running errands on his bike on the unofficial segment on the BeltLine.
"Crossing the highway and going under I-85 was a big deal," said Meghan Injaychock, the Atlanta BeltLine's senior project manager.
She said the next development will be the gravel-bed segment now used by runners and bicyclists through Piedmont Park. Officials want to also add a wooded segment that will connect the new Ansley route with the popular Eastside trail.
The gravel segment is slated for streetcar traffic in the near future. A foot trail is under construction now alongside it, due to open next year.
'Next year we will have 85% of the Beltline trail under construction or built," Injaychock said. "That’s a big number. It’s huge."
She added a new federal grant will provide funds for the project past the busy railroads toward Buckhead.
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