Set to connect 45 neighborhoods within the district, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) announced the groundbreaking of Phase II of the Northeast Trail in Ansley Park and Piedmont Heights. The project will extend the trail by 1.5 miles.
To continue development on Atlanta’s 22-mile green space loop, the existing unpaved trail between the northern end of Piedmont Park and Ansley Park closed on June 1 to undergo construction. Referred to as the Northeast Trail, this next segment will open to the public as soon as lighting is installed.
The unpaved section of the trail will be available to users until construction commences on those segments. The trail’s second segment will extend between Westminster Drive in the south to Mayson Street in the north.
“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 green space, accessibility and opportunity to all corners of Atlanta,” Mayor Andre Dickens said.
Still needing additional work to meet BeltLine standards, the first 0.7-mile phase of the Northeast Trail opened in March 2021 in an advanced interim state, which included the paved multi-use trail and an ADA access point to Montgomery Ferry Road. The trail’s new phase will incorporate a Piedmont Avenue connection, planting, duct bank, bridgework, lighting and security cameras and stormwater management systems for 1.2 miles.
As construction continues to advance, ABI will notify the public trail of closures or traffic disruptions as construction is expected to take place between Westminster Drive and Mayson Street for approximately 16 months. In May 2022, construction preparations began on the southern portion of the Northeast Trail, beginning on the timber bridge behind Ansley Mall and extending to Westminster Drive at Piedmont Park.
The remaining two segments of the trail are currently at 30% design. A multi-use trail, the Northeast Trail will be aligned to connect future transit in the same corridor.
Connecting the current paved Eastside Trail to the segment currently under construction, construction on Segment 1 between Monroe Drive and Westminster Drive is expected to begin late next year. As funding is secured, Phase III and the connecting trails will link to PATH400, the future Northwest Trail and the Lindbergh MARTA station. Designs for these future sections will reach 60% completion this summer.
Currently, the design and construction of the Atlanta BeltLine trails are funded through the BeltLine Tax Allocation District (TAD), BeltLine Special Service District (SSD) bond proceeds, Atlanta Regional Commission’s Transportation Improvement Program and philanthropic contributions. Other notable contributions include an $80 million contribution made in December 2021, courtesy of the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, and a $30 million complementary donation announced in May 2022 from The James M. Cox Foundation, securing the philanthropic funding needed to build out the remaining 22-mile multi-use trail loop.
To support the $70 million expansion of Northeast Trail from Mayson Street to the MARTA Lindbergh Center Station, the City of Atlanta and ABI are pursuing a US Department of Transportation Mega grant for the necessary support to cross over or under existing MARTA heavy rail, CSX freight rail, Norfolk Southern freight rail and Peachtree Creek, as well as state highways and roads.
View the construction and design updates for May 2022 for additional information about ABI active projects.
About Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.
On a mission to transform Atlanta into a shining, international beacon for inclusive, equitable and sustainable city life, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. is one of the largest urban redevelopment programs in the United States. By constructing a more economically and socially resilient Atlanta, ABI can provide inclusive transportation systems, job creation, affordable housing and public spaces. For more information, visit www.BeltLine.org.