Anyone who’s traveled Marietta Boulevard on Atlanta’s Westside this spring knows significant changes are afoot in terms of intown transportation.
Happening now is another section of Atlanta BeltLine construction in what’s been a flurry of trail planning, implementation, and openings the past couple of years, spanning from Adair Park to Morningside, from English Avenue to Glenwood Park, and elsewhere across the city.
More specifically, the Marietta Boulevard work is an extension (albeit disconnected, for now) of the BeltLine’s existing Westside Trail known as Segment 3. It’s going to branch off the recently opened Westside BeltLine Connector—a 1.7-mile link to downtown Atlanta—take a right, and head north to Huff Road near shopping and dining districts west of Midtown.
A team effort by the BeltLine and PATH Foundation, this new leg of the Westside Trail will span just shy of 1.3 miles, reducing Marietta Boulevard traffic lanes from five to three and installing a concrete buffer and leafy arboretum between cars and pedestrians and cyclists.
“Construction started at the end of February, beginning of March,” Greta G. deMayo, PATH Foundation executive director, told Urbanize Atlanta in an interview this week. “We’re anticipating a solid year to get it completed.”
Like the Westside BeltLine Connector, the segment is considered a critical link that could help web BeltLine access out in several directions: west to Grove Park and the Proctor Creek Greenway; northwest to the Silver Comet Trail in Cobb County; and north to an existing BeltLine section in Buckhead near Bobby Jones Golf Course.
Head to the gallery for a tour of where the extension stands today—and how it’s expected to look and function this time next year.
• Recent BeltLine news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)
• Atlanta's largest park is finally coming together. How it looks right now (UA)
