The Dirt on PATH400
Denise Starling, executive director of Livable Buckhead, gives us the dirt on PATH400 progress.
Good Afternoon, PATH400 party people! 
It’s finally fall – my favorite season of the year! But wow, this one is certainly coming in with a little drama. Rains, winds, and hurricanes, oh my! Little Nancy Creek showed off a bit, but I’m happy to report that our construction site only had a small tree down and no damage. Our stormwater drainage systems performed wonderfully, proving effective even while we’re still under construction.
Construction Update
Miami Circle Gateway
Miracle on miracles! Thanks to Lisa Glover, we cut through the red tape at the City and completed this section just in time for our big party! Excellere Construction did an outstanding job, and our project management team kept the crew on their toes to ensure everything was top-notch. Next up are some minor punch list items, and then we’ll be calling for artists to contribute sculptural artwork to make this a true gateway! Artists interested in being part of this call, please reach out.
Wieuca to Loridans
Now that the bridge is complete, our crews are busy grading the north side of Mountain Drive, shaping the slope, and moving those gorgeous rocks beneath the bridge — which means the concrete will be poured soon! The first sections of the handrails for the bridge have been fabricated and are also on-site. You’ll start seeing those being installed in the coming weeks.
Here’s a fun tidbit: one big decision we faced was whether to install the posts on the handrails with the grade or plumb… whodathunk?
Next Sections
Loridans to Sandy Springs – City of Atlanta Part
We’ve made progress on our construction agreement, but we’re in a bit of a holding pattern due to legal reviews. And since it’s Halloween, it seems fitting to mention that bats have become a hot topic! While we love them for controlling mosquitoes, a new endangered group has migrated to the area, limiting our tree clearing to specific times that don’t align well with our timeline. Curse you, stinkin’ bats!
Sandy Springs to Glenridge – COSS Part
Sandy Springs has awarded their contract to FS Scarborough and signed GDOT’s construction agreement. They’re just waiting for their “notice to proceed” (NTP for you transportation nerds) before they get going. It’s official – they’re ahead of us!
PATH400 Trivia
Unfortunately, no one guessed the correct answer to our trivia question last month – it sure was a hard one! But don’t worry, we’re bringing it back for another round! The answer to the question was 640,000 lbs or 320 tons. That means the weight of the bridge is equal to 64 elephants!
Stay tuned for more trivia questions and chances to win!
Upcoming Events
Construction Tour – November 16th
What better way to end the year? Join us for our last construction tour of 2024 on Saturday, November 16th! We won’t be able to access the bridge for safety reasons, but we’ll hike up the hillside billygoat style to check out the progress on the north side. Sign up here!
THANK YOU!
A huge shoutout to everyone who supported PATH400 and Livable Buckhead at our annual Party on the PATH – it was fantastic! With great food and drinks from Ernesto and the amazing team at Eclipse di Luna, and the lively music from 3rd Stream Band, we not only met our attendance goal but exceeded it, raised $30k+, and unveiled our gateway!
It was a night filled with wonderful people, and we sure hope to see you all back next year (as well as your friends and family!)
STOP THE PRESSES!
Holy moly (you know what I really said)! I turn my back for a few days to focus on other things, and my construction team kicks some serious PATH400 booty! WOW!! The section from the bridge up to Loridans Drive is already halfway poured, and they’ll go as far as they can in the next two days!
This part of the construction is so much fun because it feels like instant trail! And the best part? Yep, you guessed it. My initials are now in the concrete — at least until the crew decides I’m not allowed to deface their amazing work and wipes them out! Check out some of these awesome glamor shots!
