ATLANTA — A new and highly anticipated portion of the Atlanta Beltline officially opens on Thursday.
The Atlanta Beltline and city officials will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Segments Four and Five of the Southeast Trail this afternoon.
What joggers, walkers and bike riders can expect to see with the new segments, LIVE on Channel 2 Action News This Morning from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
The addition expands the trail by 1.2 miles and brings it to a total of 2.5 miles. The trail runs from Krog Street Tunnel to Boulevard SE.
“I think it’s beautiful. It’s super exciting. I’m actually new to the city,” Brianna Collins said.
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Collins recently moved from Charlotte and says the Beltline, weaving as it does through neighborhoods, is one of Atlanta’s jewels.
“We were super excited to find out that this was opening soon and that it’s been in the works for so long,” she said.
It took nearly three years to get this stretch completed. Snags with underground utilities and spates of bad weather triggered delays.
The trail opens the Beltline to the neighborhoods of Glenwood Park, Grant Park, Ormewood Park and Boulevard Heights. It also creates safer routes to school for students at Parkside Elementary and Maynard Jackson High School.
Nastassia Verley is eager to use this newly-opened trail as much as she can.
“In my lunch break, whenever I have a moment. And you never know who you’re going to meet on the Beltline,” Verley said.
By June, the completion of the remaining Southside Trail will bring the total continuous paved Beltline Trail to 17.9 miles.
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