There’s good news on the horizon for Westside Trail patrons who’ve been irked by a gap in the Atlanta Beltline near a popular food, drink, and work destination in West End.

According to Atlanta Beltline Inc.’s latest construction update, a new section of the multi-use pathway called Westside Trail-Segment 6 has entered planning phases for an abandoned rail corridor just north of Lee + White, a mixed-use district that’s debuted a food hall and recently notched office leasing success.

The project will build a .6-mile trail connection in the rail corridor between Lawton Street (where the Westside Trail currently ends with a ramp at Lee + White) up to another existing Westside Trail stretch near Gordon-White Park and Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard.

The gap in paved, in-corridor trail has existed (and confounded some first-time users) since the three-mile, $43-million Westside Trail debuted seven years ago. It’s required Beltline users to exit the Westside Trail corridor and zigzag up and down ramps and follow an adjacent sidewalk path to continue using the Beltline.

The paved Segment 6 would be more of a straight shot and much simpler.

Base image via Ackerman & Co.

It would pass between the 1295 West Apartments (formerly Donnelly Gardens) and a large warehouse and office structure where Lee + White owners Ackerman & Co. are planning to build out another 208,000 square feet of mixed uses.

According to Beltline officials, Westside Trail-Segment 6 is moving toward being ready for the solicitation process that will seek a partner firm.

The design phase is scheduled to last through early 2026. Beltline officials are aiming to complete the project in 2027, with landscaping work to follow the opening.

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Northeast Trail progress

Meanwhile, on the flipside of town, a milestone Atlanta multi-use trail enthusiasts have long pined for has finally come: The paved Beltline now extends fully through Piedmont Park. (But construction fences remain up, so it’s off-limits to the public).

The Westside Trail section in question (bottom left) and location of current work next to Piedmont Park. Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

The latest progress is a fully poured concrete trail that extends from Monroe Drive near Park Tavern, alongside the park’s gravel parking lot, and up to Evelyn Street, an entry point to Atlanta Botanical Garden.

A new ADA-accessible ramp down to Piedmont Park’s main meadows and a stairway linking to the park’s popular dog park remain under construction, as cameras and lighting are being installed. That section is considered phase two.

Looking south on the new Beltline Northeast Trail segment in Piedmont Par, with Park Tavern ahead on the right. [Note: This section remains closed to the public.] Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Phase three—safety upgrades where the Beltline meets Monroe Drive—also remains a work-in-progress.

That includes new traffic signals at Monroe Drive and nearby Kanuga Street, a raised pedestrian crossing, and an upgraded bike lane on 10th Street near the intersection that links into the Beltline.

All three phases of the Northeast Trail segment between Monroe Drive and the northern reaches of Piedmont Park remain on pace to officially debut later this fall, according to Beltline officials.

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