By Gabriel Owens, contributor

In a March 2 community meeting at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, the head of the Eastside Trail expansion of the Beltline gave the community an update about the project.

“Phase one is underway and is expected to last through May,” said Meghan Injaychock, project manager of the Eastside expansion. “Phase two will follow, and will last about six to eight months.”

The first phase of the Eastside Trail expansion began in 2016, taking the trail from Irwin Street to Kirkwood Avenue. This will add over one mile to the Beltline’s existing shared-use trail. The second phase is expected to reach Memorial Drive and replace the bridge at Fulton Terrace, once funding is available.

The current phase is on schedule and on budget, she said.

“The new construction will go from Irwin Street to DeKalb down Wylie,” Injaychock said. “This includes going through the corridor to Kirkwood through the Krog Street tunnel.”

She also explained the southern end of the Eastside trail will be revamped and replaced. Additionally, Irwin Street will get new stop signs for safer passage to lessen issues between trail users and regular Atlanta traffic.

“Kirkwood is being prepped and graded,” Injaychock said. “Look for the Krog street tunnel to get [pothole fixes], new lighting and other improvements.”

One resident expressed concerns about traffic blockage. Injaychock said some streets will be temporarily closed, like Irwin, from March 20 to April 17.  She asked everyone to have patience, as weather can affect concrete pouring schedules.

“It’s not a good idea to pour concrete in the rain,” she said.

Other improvements include “lots of sidewalks, road flashers, and gutters where they are needed.”

The Eastside trail extension will bring the Atlanta Beltline from Memorial Drive into southeast Atlanta. For more information on the Beltline construction, visit www.beltline.org.