The Atlanta Beltline got an infusion of $16.4 million in the form of a U.S. Department of Transportation grant, which will be used to construct about two miles of the Southside Trail from Pittsburgh Yards to Boulevard Crossing Park.
The grant was announced Wednesday in a press release by U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams’ office, which said the money was secured by the congresswoman along with U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
The new construction will include a 14-foot-wide concrete trail, ADA-accessible ramps, crosswalks and signals, lights and security cameras, advanced environmental remediation, utility relocations, stormwater infrastructure, extensive retaining walls, major bridge enhancements, and landscaping, according to the press release. The project also includes two major bridge renovations, six vertical connections, and two at-grade crossings, the release says.
“I have worked to secure the resources needed to complete the Beltline Southside Trail — including submitting a $5 million Member Designated Transportation Project — because this is a project that will truly benefit the people of Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District,” said Williams, who is also a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “The BeltLine ... is a model for the rest of the country for how to build environmentally friendly infrastructure that connects neighborhoods.”
Ossoff said the money will “substantially accelerate the project.”
“When we connect our communities with pedestrian and bike trails, we provide a pathway for residents to enjoy local green spaces and invest in small businesses,” Warnock said. “We bolster social and economic mobility for hardworking Georgians when we make strong Federal investments in projects like the Atlanta Beltline, and I look forward to securing more infrastructure investments like this one for other vital transportation projects in Atlanta and across our state.”
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