'Major' sections of Beltline's Northwest Trail near bidding phase

Atlanta Beltline Inc. expects to take steps toward eliminating significant gaps in the 22-mile multipurpose loop soon. 

Beltline leaders have scheduled information sessions and a walking tour next month for builders interested in bidding on three sections of the Northwest Trail described this month as “major” and previously as uniquely complex. 

All segments have been broken down into smaller sections for construction. Unlike most of the Beltline, none of them are in a former railroad corridor. 

They are Northwest Trail Segments 2A and 2C in Buckhead, and Segment 4B in Berkeley Park near Atlanta Waterworks reservoirs. 

Specifically, the Beltline is seeking to hire small and medium-sized construction firms in an effort to increase inclusivity and diversity.  

Two virtual sessions (each with the same information) will be presented for potential bidders on the afternoons of Aug. 6 and 7. That will be followed by a guided site walk on Aug. 8. 

Construction of the Northwest Trail was broken down into smaller components in an effort to open the door to “firms of varying sizes and capabilities to take part in building the 22-mile Beltline loop—one of the largest redevelopment efforts in Atlanta’s history,” per ABI leadership. 

The two segments in Buckhead near the Shepherd Center are collectively .4 miles long. Ditto for the segment in question in Berkeley Park. 

The Beltline's timeline calls for breaking ground on Segment 4 in September and opening it in April 2027. No groundbreaking timeline for Segment 2 in Buckhead has been set, though all real estate and easements work is expected to wrap early next year. 

The full Northwest Trail will span 4.3 miles. The corridor spans from the northern end of the Westside Trail (near Huff Road) and arches around through neighborhoods such as Blandtown and Buckhead before connecting with the Northeast Trail (near Lindbergh MARTA station and Armour Yards). 

Other sections of the Northwest Trail—the eastern and western tips, if you will—are very much under construction. 

To the west, the .7-mile section in Blandtown (Segment 5) is on pace to open this fall. And in Buckhead, the .8-mile Segment 1 is scheduled to deliver in June, replete with a suspension bridge high over Peachtree Creek. 

A short piece of Segment 4 near Northside Drive is also unofficially open now, with a new brewery pitstop set to debut alongside it in August. 

To date, 12.6 miles of the mainline Beltline loop have been completed, with several segments now under construction, per project leaders. More than 10 miles of connector trails are also finished. 

The Beltline’s goal is to finish 18 miles of trail (most of it contiguous) before FIFA World Cup matches begin next June. 

The full loop is projected to be in place by 2030. 

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