ATLANTA — Construction is beginning on a northeast segment of the BeltLine that will connect the north end of Piedmont Park to the area near the Sweetwater Brewery.
According to Atlanta BeltLine Inc. (ABI), the development agency that oversees the BeltLine, the currently unpaved portion of the trail between Piedmont Park and Ansley Mall will close on June 1 as the construction begins.
"The paved section of the trail will remain open while lighting is installed," an ABI release said. "The unpaved sections will remain open to trail users until construction commences on those segments."
A 0.7 mile of the segment that runs through the Ansley Park neighborhood opened in an "advanced interim" stage last year, according to ABI.
That initial stage included a paved portion of the trail and an ADA access point to Montgomery Ferry Road. This next phase will include "a paved trail, a connection to Piedmont Avenue, lighting and security cameras, bridgework, duct bank, planting and stormwater management systems" for the full 1.2-mile section of the trail.
ABI said construction of the trail segment, which officially runs from Westminster Drive at the north end of Piedmont Park to Mayson Street, which is just beyond the Buford-Spring Connector near the Sweetwater site, would take about 16 months.
The ABI release laid out the rest of the future plans for the Northeast Trail:
The remaining two segments of the Northeast Trail are at 30 percent design. Once design and other pre-construction activities are complete, construction on Segment 1, between Monroe Drive and Westminster Drive, could begin in late 2023. It will connect the current paved Eastside Trail to the segment now under construction. As funding is secured, Segment 3 and connecting trails will connect to the Lindbergh MARTA station, PATH400, and the future Northwest Trail. Design on these segments will reach 60 percent design this summer.
Segment 1 will essentially run the full eastern length of Piedmont Park.
A recent $30 million donation by the Cox Foundation is expected to provide most of the rest of the push to complete the full city-length loop by 2030.
“My Administration is drawing circles of inclusion, and the Atlanta BeltLine is the best physical example of that in our city,” Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement. “The investments in the Atlanta BeltLine - including the recent $30 million donation from the James M. Cox Foundation - have made the expansion of the Northeast Trail possible, bringing more greenspace, accessibility and opportunity to all corners of Atlanta.”