clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Coming Soon: New Way to Access the Beltline’s Eastside Trail

New, 39 comments

R.I.P. rocky, muddy, makeshift path up the hill

It’s been a big week for the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail. First came legitimate visual proof that construction on the trail's extension has finally begun, and now comes news of a new (and needed) Beltline access point at a popular crossroads.

This development should be sweet news for anyone who’s trudged up the rocky, often muddy hill where the Eastside Trail crosses Ralph McGill Boulevard, at the junction of Poncey-Highland and Old Fourth Ward.

As Beltline officials explain on their website this week ...

You will soon have one more way to access the Eastside Trail! Visitors to the Atlanta Beltline have been using the hill at Ralph McGill Boulevard as an unofficial access point since before the trail even opened. Perennial Properties, the owners of the Telephone Factory Lofts, are installing a public access trail from the road below. The access point will give users an easy way to get to the Eastside Trail from Ralph McGill.

Construction on the access point will begin the week of June 20 and will take 6 to 8 weeks. During this time, the public will NOT be able to use the area as an access point to the Eastside Trail.

There are five alternative access points within a quarter mile of the construction area. They are: at Angier Springs Road, from Historic Fourth Ward Park via the Gateway Trail, at the north and south ends of the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark, and from the Stone Mountain Trail by way of the spur under Freedom Parkway.

We'll post renderings or more specifics if they become available. This is the segment in question, with Ralph McGill Boulevard below:

EXTENSION UPDATE:

But wait — there’s more!

Regarding the Eastside Trail’s southward extension from Old Fourth Ward to Cabbagetown and Reynoldstown, the Beltline’s PR team sent these specifics to Curbed Atlanta for what coming weeks will bring (plus some good news about trees) ...

[This week] the trees were removed down Wylie Street on the north side (minus some on CSX) and crape myrtles were trimmed on the south side of Wylie. The team will continue pruning and cutting between Kirkwood Avenue and Wylie today. This work should be completed by the beginning of next week.

We understand and greatly appreciate that our residents are concerned about the trees and want them to be assured that there will be 150 new trees planted on Wylie when construction ends.

Sidewalks will be closed while work is done on Wylie. Kirkwood to Wylie will be closed during working hours until next week when it will be closed and fenced off.

There will be a temporary lane closure of Wylie Street between the Krog Street Tunnel and Flat Shoals Road beginning in mid-June and lasting for approximately 30 days. This closure coincides with the construction of the Atlanta Beltline Eastside Trail Extension construction. This work includes the installation of the new trail (with lighting and tree plantings) on the North Side of Wylie Street and the movement of a waterline on the South side of the street.

The temporary lane closures along Wylie Street will be done during the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. during those 30 days in mid-June. During this closure, one lane of flow-through traffic will be controlled with flag men between the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

After 4 p.m., if the contractor deems it possible, all lanes will open to users. Please be aware that street parking on the South side of Wylie will be impacted as the contractor moves the waterline.

"No Parking" signs will be posted prior to work starting and the work will be done in segments down the length of the street.

Sidewalk closures will be in place with detours to the south sidewalk once the north side of Wylie is under construction. Upon completion of the trail along Wylie Street this segment of the project will be open to users.