Atlanta Beltline’s Westside Trail has officially poured ‘final concrete’

A little less than three years since city dignitaries, curious locals, and media hordes gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony in Adair Park, the Atlanta Beltline’s Westside Trail is marking a significant milestone:

The last bit of concrete has been poured.

Beltline officials announced via Facebook this week that “final concrete” is now curing on what will be a three-mile stretch of trail through southwest Atlanta, linking Adair Park to Washington Park.

What’s more, officials said a dedication for the Westside Trail is planned for sometime in September, although it’s not yet clear if the trail will be officially open for public use then—or sooner.

In the meantime, Beltline leaders warn: “Please be mindful [the trail is] not yet open and the contractor is still at work completing final finishes and installing landscaping, lighting, and signage.”

From the outset, city leaders and project backers have called the $43-million Westside Trail an unprecedented investment for southwest Atlanta, though a chorus of displacement fears and gentrification gripes has more recently captured headlines.

Once finished, the trail will connect four parks and include 14 access points and a new bridge over Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Unlike its Eastside counterpart, the trail is scheduled to debut with all lighting, security cameras, and mile-markers.

For recent glimpses at what the Westside Trail will be like once opened, have a gander at our Visual Journeys photo essay from last month.

ABI/Facebook

• The final concrete has been poured on Beltline’s Westside trail [AJC]