Recent spates of frigid weather have again delayed the opening of the most highly anticipated Atlanta Beltline trail section in recent memory, project officials tell Urbanize Atlanta.
As of our report two weeks ago, the Beltline’s Southside Trail—Segments 4 and 5 appeared set to open in March—though officials did caution that was contingent on delays caused by weather or other “unforeseen conditions” uncovered during construction.
Though concrete installation and other work has clearly ramped up alongside temperatures in recent days, especially north of Ormewood Avenue, the trail’s official March opening is apparently no longer on the docket.
“Recent rain and freezing temperatures have delayed some concrete work, which serves as the foundation for subsequent construction activities,” Beltline spokesperson Keona Swindler wrote via email today. “Concrete can only be poured when temperatures are at or above 40 degrees. As a result, certain project elements have been pushed into the spring.”
Those elements include railing work at a key elevated point on the new trail, the winding United Avenue ramp.
Security cameras and lighting installation also must be complete before the trail is officially open, according to Beltline officials.
At the Ormewood Avenue pedestrian bridge deck (shown above in late January), stairs have been installed, granite installation is underway, and a ramp is scheduled to be poured soon, per Beltline officials. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta
The two Southside Trail segments are all that stands in the way of a contiguous Beltline corridor linking southern Buckhead to the doorstep of Zoo Atlanta, a distance of more than seven miles. Thus, the public excitement.
The sections in question stretch 1.2 miles from Glenwood Avenue down to Boulevard.
A March opening would have meant the Southside Trail pieces in question, which started construction in June 2023, were delayed by roughly a year from initial projections.
Unexpected hurdles involving underground utilities at United Avenue, among other complications, have thwarted the Beltline’s revised goals of having the trail open by summer and fall last year, and then by January this year.
Once the trail is open, the United Avenue bridge will remain under construction and closed, officials have said.
Location of Southside Trail—Segments 4 and 5, totaling 1.2 miles, in relation to the full 22-mile loop. Atlanta Beltline Inc.
Meanwhile, west of Boulevard, the last Southside Trail sections to be built (Segments 2 and 3) are now expected to see all concrete work finished by April, as Beltline officials relayed today.
The agency maintains the full trail will be open and accessible before FIFA World Cup 2026 festivities in June, though some ancillary construction projects will continue.
The Southside Trail gaps are crucial for both transportation and leisure.
When finished, they’ll link together finished trails that run down the east and west sides of Atlanta, creating a nearly 18-mile J of contiguous mainline Beltline pathways and linking together dozens of neighborhoods.
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• Photos: Newest Beltline section lends fresh perspectives on Atlanta (Urbanize Atlanta)
