BeltLine-connected 'The Spur' trail has launched construction

After years of discussion, planning, and fundraising, The Spur trail is officially happening west of Midtown.

Called the Westside Paper Spur Trail for long, the .73-mile paved pathway will branch north from the Westside BeltLine Connector, providing a protected multi-use trail link between downtown and hundreds of residences and new businesses along the West Marietta Street corridor.

In between will be a 65-foot-long bridge that’s necessary for steep topography between properties in the Howell Station neighborhood, according to project officials.

At the south end, The Spur will start where the Westside BeltLine Connector meets Joseph E Lowery Boulevard. It will pass directly next to the Puritan Mill district, expanded QTS data center facilities, and the new mixed-use Westside Paper district, a remake of 1950s warehouses, before ending near King Plow Arts Center.

Looking north, an overview of the .73-mile multi-use pathway, with the Westside Paper district ahead at right. PATH Foundation/Upper Westside CID

Broader context of The Spur's location near Westside Park, due west of Midtown. Google Maps

The Spur is considered a collaborative effort between the City of Atlanta, Upper Westside Community Improvement District, and PATH Foundation. It’s been on the radar of Atlanta alternate transportation enthusiasts since 2020, when business owners, stakeholders, and nearby residents pinpointed The Spur as a priority for boosting the area’s multimodal infrastructure. The Upper Westside CID also incorporated the trail into its Upper Westside Masterplan that year.

Elizabeth Hollister, Upper Westside CID executive director, noted in a groundbreaking announcement today that “forward-thinking property owners” donated all of the necessary easements for trail construction. The CID group picked Hasbun Construction to build The Spur following a public bidding process last year.

Funding for The Spur was sourced from the $750-million Moving Atlanta Forward program approved by voters two years ago, the Howell Station Neighborhood Association, the Upper Westside CID, and other sources.

Greta DeMayo, PATH executive director, said The Spur is part of a project portfolio her agency is aiming to deliver by 2026 “to make Atlanta a more connected and vibrant community” as a fundraising campaign called “Our PATH Forward… Continuing the Journey” rolls on.

Construction of The Spur is expected to move rather quickly, with its opening scheduled for May next year.

Upper Westside CID officials hope to eventually expand the pathway so that it ties into the new Brady Avenue cycletrack and the mainline BeltLine loop, located just to the west.

Here's an overview of what's officially under construction now:

PATH Foundation/Upper Westside CID