Traffic in Midtown Atlanta is almost always clogged, but commuters should expect at least one more delay this week as a busy intersection is fully closed for construction on the Beltline.
Starting Sunday evening, the city and Atlanta Beltline Inc. closed the intersection of 10th Street and Monroe Drive to begin working on improving pedestrian and bike safety. The closure will be in place until Friday, and detours for the streets and for the trail are in place. Still, it could spell headaches for those trying to get to the Justin Timberlake concert at State Farm Arena on Monday.
The Beltline’s improvements include a new 10th Street bike lane, a raised pedestrian crossing, better pedestrian signals and new traffic signals, according to officials. It’s part of the ongoing construction of the first segment of the Northeast Trail, which runs from Monroe Drive to Westminster Drive with a portion through Piedmont Park. That project is expected to be completed by this fall.
“The construction at 10th and Monroe will bring vital improvements for both pedestrians and cyclists, significantly boosting safety and accessibility in the area,” Atlanta Beltline Inc.’s director of construction, Kynthia Gaines, said in a statement. “These enhancements will allow all visitors to the Atlanta Beltline to navigate the area more safely and efficiently.”
Once the construction is complete, Piedmont Park will have five direct access points to the Beltline.
The new traffic signals will be placed at Kanuga Street and Monroe Drive to better manage flow, officials said. The closure didn’t cause many problems Monday morning, but Sunday evening “was a bit dicey,” Meghan Injaychock, senior project manager for the Beltline, said as she directed traffic Monday.
“We had a lot going on in the park,” she said. “We had a wedding at Park Tavern, so there was a lot of people that aren’t used to this closure coming ... we had to direct traffic probably a little bit more than we had anticipated coming off the trail.”
Signs had been posted in the days leading up to the closure, so most community members were ready for it, she said.
If adverse weather affects construction, the closure will be rescheduled for next week, but dry weather is expected at least through Thursday.
Even after the intersection reopens, single-lane closures are expected through September to finish the construction of the sidewalk. Those will take place Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
