Community update: Westside Trail progress going well

As the Westside Trail starts to take on a semi-finished appearance, Beltline officials are evaluating whether they will open the trail in segments or wait until it is completely finished.
Workers have begun pouring concrete for the 3-mile trail and progress continues on the granite walls, one of the most time-consuming parts of building the trail, Maghan Injaychock told community members Thursday evening.
An assistant project manager, Injaychock and other Beltline staff met with community members to update them on the trail’s progress and answer questions.
The trail, begun nearly two years ago, should be completed by sometime next year. At a quarterly briefing Monday evening, officials said the project is slated to be finished on time and on budget.
In answer to questions from community members Thursday evening, Injaychock said officials are still trying to decide whether the trail will be opened in segments as it is finished or all at once. The lighting is scheduled to be installed at the same time near the end of the project, which would make it harder to open sections of the trail.
Any trail openings will be announced, she said.
Another challenge for the Beltline staff is determining how to best differentiate between the existing trails and the new Westside Trail. For example, the 2.4 mile West End Trail runs nearly adjacent to the Westside Trail in some areas and is also a Beltline trail marked with the Beltline logo.
The similar trails can be confusing, Injaychock said, so the signage will include maps of the trails and try to help people easily identify which trail they are on.
Brian Williams, with Trees Atlanta, also provided an update on work being done at Enota Park near the Westside Trail. In October, sheep will be brought into the park to help eat invasive plants. The targeted area is towards the back of the park and will not affect the children’s play area, Williams said.
Plans call for Enota Park to be expanded eventually. The design and planning for that has not been completed, Beltline staff said.