Atlanta inaugurates another segment of the Beltline

Atlanta’s historic Beltline, a 22-mile loop connecting the city’s neighborhoods, reached another milestone Monday.

City leaders broke ground on the first phase of the Northwest Trail.

The trail begins at the intersection of Marietta Boulevard and Huff Road and will connect to Segment 3 of the Westside Trail.

(DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for breaking news alerts)

Mayor of Atlanta Andrew Dickens said the trail would also connect to other regional trails.

“Integrating the Northwest Trail contributes to Atlanta’s progress, further improving equitable transportation access to the Atlanta Beltline for our city’s residents and visitors. This segment will also tie into planned regional trails like the Silver Comet Trail and the Chattahoochee River Trail,” Dickens said.

Dicken said that by 2026, before the FIFA World Cup, 17 miles of connected trails will be completed and 85 percent of the Beltline will be completed or under construction.

City officials say the Beltline and the development around it constitute one of the most ambitious urban development projects in the United States, if not the world.

“The whole world is watching Atlanta to see if we can deliver on this five billion dollar infrastructure redevelopment program. We are literally teaching other cities how to do equitable redevelopment and infrastructure,” said Clyde Higgs, president and CEO of Atlanta Beltline.

Higg said the organization approved a $172 million budget to move forward with completing the Beltline and building more affordable housing around the Loop.

TRENDING STORIES:

“The original affordable housing goal was 5,600 units by the end of 2030. We are now on track to achieve more than 7,000 units of affordable housing on the Beltline. That’s 30 percent above our goal,” Higgs said.

People who live near the new segment of the Beltline say they are excited about the start of construction.

“How convenient. We can walk down the street and literally here, cross and take the Beltline. We’ll have ways to walk instead of drive. Hopefully the retail businesses and restaurants will want to come,” he said. said neighbor Peter Schorsch.

The first complete section of the Northwest Trail is expected to take 17 months to complete.

(SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Newsletter)

IN OTHER NEWS: