The Dirt on PATH400

Denise Starling, executive director of Livable Buckhead, gives us the dirt on PATH400 progress.

Gifts Under My Tree

SHHHHHHHH!! Don’t tell anyone but I peeked, and I know what a few of the presents are under my tree!

Gift #1: The best gift ever is from Councilman Howard Shook and his amazing assistant, Denis, who introduced all the legislation we needed to get the final pieces of PATH400 underway. Thanks to his work, we will be getting started with the next section – Loridans to the City limits – in short order, and Sandy Springs has the local funding to get theirs going as well! Thank you, Councilman Shook!

Gift #2: New construction boots. I firmly believe in the holiday shopping model of “one for you and two for me.” This year, that meant new construction boots for me! Those of you who have been on the construction tours know how ridiculous my boots were, so I have treated myself and bought some professional ones. And, I LOVE THEM! I can’t wait to show them off when our construction tours resume in January. Register now for the boot debut!

Gift #3: 35% completion. We are currently at about 35% completion, and it is looking really cool. The main walls are either complete or being installed, the columns that hold up the bridge are complete, and the “launch pad” leading to the bridge is finished. The progress is truly transformative. Yesterday, I was driving north on GA400 and saw some new construction right at Wieuca. For a moment I panicked thinking someone was building in our corridor! Until I realized it was actually PATH400… eyeroll!

Coal in My Stocking

Apparently, I haven’t been very good this year, as evidenced by the coal in my stocking. And by “coal,” I mean change orders. For those of you construction novices, a change order means something that doesn’t go according to plan and ends up costing you more money. I have several bricks of this special coal in my stocking so far and only one of them is for something I wanted to do! But as in life, unexpected things happen – like having to relocate the trail around a new telephone pole that was installed in the middle of the trail alignment. 🙃

I’m really hoping Santa leaves me a big ole magic money tree to help out next year. And by Santa, I mean you, dear reader. Help a girl out and make a gift to Livable Buckhead so we can continue to bring people together on PATH400 and in the parks along its route.

Another brick of coal in my stocking came in the form of sheer bolts. Hundreds (probably thousands) of these bolts are used in the fabrication of the steel bridge decking. All was going along swimmingly until we realized these little guys were not on GDOT’s qualified products list, and we had to go back through the approval process. What this means to all of us is that the bridge work is behind schedule, and we will not be able to open Mountain Way as expected. I don’t have an exact schedule yet, but I cannot in good conscience open the road when overhead construction is still going on. I am really sorry about this and don’t like it any more than you do! I will keep you all in the loop when I know more.

Rest and Relaxation

Another thing I am giving myself for the holiday is some much-needed R&R. I plan to take a week or so off this holiday season, but never fear, work will continue in my absence. Our bridge crews and wall installers will be taking advantage of every available minute to make up for lost time. And, who knows, I may need to break in those new boots, so don’t be surprised if you see me out there one day kicking some dirt around!

Happy Holidays to each and every one of you!

P.S. I wasn’t kidding about making a gift to Livable Buckhead before the end of the year. Your support helps make all the cool things we do possible.