Atlanta Beltline breaks ground on new segment of Northwest Trail as crews work to finish by 2030

The Atlanta Beltline has broken ground on another segment of its Northwest Trail, getting closer to the goal of finishing the 22-mile loop.

Segment 2A of the popular walking trail is a 0.3-mile section that will connect the already completed Northside Trail and the Northwest Connector Trail. When finished, the entire section will start at Bobby Jones Golf Course and go east along Colonial Hills Circle. The full Northwest Trail will go from Blandtown to the Lindbergh and Morosgo neighborhoods.

This is one of three segments in Section 2, and will end at the northeast corner of the Georgia Power Company substation.

"This segment showcases the Beltline's transformative power by demonstrating how infrastructure can do more than connect places, it can connect people to opportunity," said Atlanta Beltline, Inc. President and CEO Clyde Higgs. "This area of Buckhead is home to Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, the largest employer along the Beltline corridor, Shepherd Center, and numerous other job centers. This trail will help connect people to jobs, healthcare, grocery stores, and other essential services. 

Unlike much of the Beltline, this part of the trail does not have an existing rail corridor, which means that the organization has been working to acquire land to ensure the trail can move forward. Last month, the Beltline announced it has finished purchasing all the land needed to finish the full trail, which took 20 years and cost more than $200 million.

In recent months, Beltline construction has surged. So far, 78% of the trail is complete, and the Beltline is trying to finish the trail by 2030.

The organization estimates that the project, which includes the construction of a trail, pedestrian bridge, and storm drainage, is expected to be done by early 2028. While Section C is expected to begin construction in 2027, officials say Section B requires a new bridge from the Georgia Department of Transportation.