Atlanta BeltLine Northeast Trail looking north under the Park Drive bridge with Piedmont Park to the left. (Photo by Erin Sintos)

Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. is seeking a construction firm to pave a segment of the Northeast Trail.

An invitation to bid is now open for the 0.9-mile segment, six months ahead of schedule, according to a press release.

Northeast Trail – Segment 1 runs alongside Piedmont Park between Westminster Drive and the current end of the paved section of the Eastside Trail at 10th Street and Monroe Drive.

Segment 1 includes the 14-foot-wide concrete multi-use trail, landscaping, fiber duct bank, retaining walls, connections to adjoining streets, stainless steel handrails and guardrails, storm drainage and storm management (with a focus on green infrastructure), environmental remediation, lighting, and security cameras.

“Within two years, we expect to have 80 percent of the BeltLine complete or under construction,” ABI president and CEO Clyde Higgs said. “We’re thrilled to keep up our accelerated pace to deliver the Atlanta BeltLine for all Atlantans.”

Northeast Trail – Segment 1 will go into construction shortly after a firm is selected and a contract is executed. The BeltLine will host a public meeting to introduce the selected contractor to the community and outline work timelines. Construction is expected to take approximately 18 months and to be complete in fall of 2024.

Northeast Trail – Segment 2 is currently under construction between Westminster Drive and Mayson Street with anticipated completion later this year.

Once Segments 1 and 2 are complete, they will add over 2 completed miles to the mainline Atlanta BeltLine trail, resulting in five miles of multi-use trail connecting a dozen neighborhoods between I-20 and I-85.

To date, 9.3 miles of the 22-mile BeltLine mainline loop are complete. In addition, 10.3 miles of connector trails have been completed that tie directly into current and future segments of the BeltLine main trail.

The BeltLine continues to work with Piedmont Park Conservancy, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation, City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, and Atlanta Department of Transportation. The BeltLine is partnering with ATLDOT to receive bids on improvements to the intersection of 10th Street and Monroe Drive that will help incorporate the new paved section into the trail network. As part of RENEW Atlanta, bicycle lane improvements will be made between the 10th Street cycle track and the trail corridor.

Lead philanthropic support to complete the full BeltLine corridor comes from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, Inc. and The James M. Cox Foundation.

To view this solicitation, interested parties can register on the BeltLine’s procurement management website. Once registered, the invitation can be found here: Invitation to Bid, Northeast Trail – Segment 1 Construction. Bids are due May 10.

Collin Kelley has been the editor of Atlanta Intown for two decades and has been a journalist and freelance writer for 35 years. He’s also an award-winning poet and novelist.