Work begins on the first Northwest Trail segment of the Atlanta BeltLine

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, along with city and Atlanta BeltLine Inc. leaders and community members, broke ground this morning on Segment 5 of the Northwest Trail, a 0.8-mile stretch of the Northwest BeltLine Trail.

This is a significant milestone as the first full section of the Northwest Trail will be under construction, with completion expected in 17 months.

The trail begins north of the intersection of Marietta Boulevard and Huff Road and heads toward Ellsworth Industrial and English Street in Blandtown. It will connect to the completed Westside Trail – Segment 3, which runs 1.2 miles from Huff Road to Law Street and connects the Westside Connector Trail to downtown Atlanta, as well as the existing Westside Trail – Segment 4 in construction.

“This segment of the Atlanta BeltLine will bring even greater connectivity to Atlanta neighborhoods, furthering one of the largest and most influential redevelopment projects in the country. This segment will increase mobility and accessibility for pedestrians and bicycles, making it safer for children to access school. It is important that our communities – often separated by infrastructure – are now cultivated as interconnected neighborhoods, connecting our citizens to each other, as well as to opportunities for economic prosperity and access to cultural and social amenities, improving their health holistic and improving their lives. way of life,” Dickens said. “With each passing day, I witness our vision for Atlanta, which includes a city of safe, healthy, connected neighborhoods. 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.

The remaining 3.6 miles of the Northwest Trail are currently in the final design phase of work or have completed the design phase, according to BeltLine officials. Design of the Northwest Trail will be completed for all segments by the end of the year.

Once built, the complete Northwest Trail will stretch 4.3 miles between Blandtown and the Lindbergh/Morosgo neighborhoods. Other neighborhoods along the Northwest Trail corridor include Underwood Hills, Berkeley Park, Loring Heights, Brookwood, Collier Hills, Collier Hills North, Ardmore, Brookwood Hills, Peachtree Hills and Garden Hills.

“Today’s dedication of the first full section of the Northwest Trail is another major milestone for the Atlanta BeltLine,” said Clyde Higgs, President and CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. “Not only This is a key step in completing the 22-mile main Loop BeltLine, but it will also provide Atlantans with a regional trail connection to the Chattahoochee River and the Silver Comet Trail, which extends into Alabama.

The BeltLine has more construction projects underway than at any time since its inception in 2005, as we move toward completing the trail by 2030. ABI and Mayor Dickens announced an accelerated timeline for the Southside Trail , now scheduled for completion before the 2026 World Cup. This will result in 17.5 miles of completed BeltLine trail and 16.3 miles of continuous trail.

Currently, nine segments of the main trail are under construction, representing 85% of the project completed or under construction. The design of all segments of the 22-mile loop will be finalized by the end of the year.