A $5.75 million Atlanta BeltLine Partnership capital campaign will bring interim trail connections to the already-paved portions of the BeltLine trail, with the first section expected to open along the BeltLine’s recently acquired Southside Trail within a year.

According to the Beltline Partnership, the new 4.5-mile hiking trail will create a contiguous section of the Atlanta BeltLine corridor from Westminster Drive to the north end of the newly paved Westside Trail at Washington Park.

The Beltline Partnership also announced that it has raised $2.9 million for its “Opening the Corridor” campaign – including a lead gift of $1 million from The Coca-Cola Foundation – to fund new trails linking the Westside and Eastside Trails through south Atlanta, as well as the Northside and Eastside Trails through northeast Atlanta.

The “Opening the Corridor” campaign launched late last year, leveraging Atlanta’s T-SPLOST funding being used by Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. to acquire the remaining right of way for the full 22-mile Atlanta BeltLine, the release said.

“A successful ‘Opening the Corridor’ campaign enables us to continue to support the work of our partner organization Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. as they implement the Atlanta BeltLine,” ABP Executive Director Rob Brawner said. “We are very appreciative of the many donors who help advance the Atlanta BeltLine through their contributions to our capital campaigns.”