Nearly a year after it was installed, a sweeping bridge that promises to be a one-of-one Atlanta Beltline feature has been torn apart by its builders.  

As part of Northwest Trail—Segment 1 construction in Buckhead, the suspension bridge high over Peachtree Creek was mostly completed in May, with a concrete multi-use trail atop it. “The suspension bridge is quite impressive in person,” wrote a commenter on these pages at the time. “It’s bigger than you'd think for a trail bridge.”

But now, according to Kim Wilson, Atlanta Beltline Inc.’s vice president of design and construction, the Peachtree Creek bridge is being deconstructed by its contractor, Reeves Young, following “an issue that arose during a concrete deck pour.” 

The bridge’s poured concrete has been removed, and its steel is being disassembled now, according to Wilson. 

“An independent engineering review identified matters requiring further evaluation and corrective action by the contractor,” Wilson wrote in an emailed statement. “No other sections of the Beltline include a bridge of this type.” 

Reeves Young and the Beltline have frequently collaborated on other portions of the 22-mile project and adjacent amenities, such as Shirley C. Franklin Park. 

Disassembly work at the Beltline Peachtree Creek bridge earlier this month. Submitted

Planned look of the suspension bridge over Peachtree Creek as part of Northwest Trail—Segment 1. PATH Foundation/Atlanta Beltline Inc.

Segment 1 will run for .8 miles total, beginning at the western edge of the low-rise Peachtree Park Apartments and wending south along Peachtree Creek. (The cable-stay suspension bridge is situated basically next door to the apartments.) The Beltline’s initial timeline called for opening the segment in June, but the “unforeseen conditions” have pushed that back significantly—to 2027 or early 2028, according to a project update. 

Progress on the trail is continuing, according to Wilson, and the southern portion along Peachtree Park Apartments is scheduled to officially wrap construction and open to the public in late April. 

“We have shared updates during recent community meetings to keep neighbors informed,” Wilson wrote. “We remain committed to delivering the Northwest Trail safely, efficiently, and transparently, and we appreciate the community’s patience as work continues.” 

The bridge structure's status at Peachtree Creek this week. Submitted

Segment 1 marks the Beltline’s first new trail in the part of Buckhead between Peachtree Road and the Lindbergh area. A groundbreaking for the project was hosted by Beltline CEO Clyde Higgs and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens in November 2024.   

A portion of the segment will travel on an elevated structure along Peachtree Creek meant to protect residential privacy and preserve greenspace, per Beltline officials.

More broadly, the Northwest Trail will include five segments total, which will link with completed Beltline sections near Tanyard Creek Park and Bobby Jones Golf Course.

Extent of the .8-mile segment in question in south Buckhead. Atlanta Beltline Inc.

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