Marietta Street and Centennial Olympic Park Drive
Pedestrian amenity and safety improvements were identified for Marietta Street and Centennial Olympic Park Drive through the project prioritization efforts of the Imagine Downtown visioning process. Marietta Street is one of Downtown’s key visitor and tourist routes that connects the Centennial Olympic Park area with Underground Atlanta and Five Points. The intersection in front of CNN Center alone sees millions of pedestrians annually. While sidewalk improvements were completed prior to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, extensive utility construction, normal wear and tear and increased pedestrian activity have caused deteriorated sidewalk conditions throughout the corridor. The intent of this project is to improve the comfort and safety of the pedestrian experience in this corridor. Anticipated improvements include:
Sidewalk Improvements
- Replacing existing concrete and decorative paver sidewalks and making granite curb improvements
- “Greening” the corridor with new raised planters, additional flower baskets, additional street trees and tree well plantings
- Adding new pedestrian lighting and refurbishing the existing street light poles
- Installing new trash cans and banners
Intersection Safety Improvements
- Providing ADA-compliant sidewalks and ramps on deficient streets
- Re-painting high-visibility crosswalk markings at all crosswalks
- Repair and upgrade pedestrian signals
- Performing drainage work to eliminate ponding in crosswalks
The project area includes the sidewalks and intersections along the approximately 6/10 of a mile (3,400 linear feet) along Marietta Street between Peachtree Street and Park Avenue West (f.k.a Foundry Street) and Centennial Olympic Park Drive between Marietta Street and Luckie Street. Of particular interest along these corridors is the intersection of Marietta Street and Centennial Olympic Park Drive, which sees extremely heavy traffic, both auto and pedestrian, due to the nearby attractions of the park, CNN Center, GWCC, Georgia Dome and Philips Arena.
The total design and construction cost of the improvements is estimated at $4.3 million dollars. Funding for the project is being provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority through Governor Perdue’s Fast Forward state bond program. Matching funds are being contributed by the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District. Design and engineering was completed by the team of Carol R. Johnson & Associates and Wilbur Smith & Associates.
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For additional information contact: Jennifer Ball at (404) 522-3344 or jball at atlantadowntown.com
