Decide DeKalb approves $588,168 grant for Brookhaven pedestrian bridge

The Decide DeKalb Development Authority board has approved a $588,168 grant to the City of Brookhaven to advance the design of a pedestrian bridge over Interstate 85, city officials announced last week.

The bridge would create an accessible connection between one of DeKalb County’s largest employment centers and the region’s growing trail network, according to a release on the city’s website. The money comes from the Urban Renewal Fund through the Briarcliff North Druid Hills Tax Allocation District and will cover design and other soft costs.

The project calls for a 14-foot-wide, grade-separated path for pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized users connecting the Emory University Executive Park campus to the Peachtree Creek Greenway above the interstate.

“This investment is an important step toward building the kind of connected, accessible transportation network Brookhaven residents, employees and visitors need,” Mayor John Park said in a statement. “The PCG Connector pedestrian bridge will help overcome one of the most significant physical barriers in our community, creating a safer connection between Executive Park, Emory and the Peachtree Creek Greenway.”

The Decide DeKalb funding is an additional component to the $15.8 million from Emory University for the construction of the Peachtree Creek Greenway Connector Bridge, which will span Interstate 85 and create a direct pedestrian and bicycle connection between Emory University’s Executive Park, the Peachtree Creek Greenway, and DeKalb County’s trail network.

City officials said the combined public and private funding means no residential property taxes will be used for the bridge’s design or construction.

Officials said the project would also connect Brookhaven’s trail network to DeKalb County’s broader trails and greenways system, the Atlanta BeltLine and Path400.

“This investment represents the kind of strategic infrastructure work that makes growth more connected, more accessible and more sustainable,” Decide DeKalb Development Authority President and CEO Dorian DeBarr said in a release from the organization. “We are not simply helping fund the design of a bridge. We are helping connect people to jobs, institutions, trails and future opportunities. As DeKalb County continues to grow, our infrastructure must grow with it, and that means investing in projects that strengthen both economic development and quality of life.”

Mayor Pro Tem and District 4 Councilman John Funny called the project “a meaningful investment in safety, mobility and quality of life.”

“Connecting Executive Park to the Peachtree Creek Greenway will give people a safer, more accessible way to walk, bike and reach jobs, trails, parks and nearby destinations,” Funny said in the release. “This Peachtree Creek Greenway Connector bridge is exactly the type of infrastructure that helps knit communities together and supports the long-term vision for the North Druid Hills corridor.”

In the release, Brookhaven officials said they plan to seek a supplemental award from Decide DeKalb in late 2027 for construction-related costs, estimated at $5.35 million.

Right-of-way acquisitions, easements and environmental permitting are expected to wrap up in 2027, followed by final design and required state authorization. Construction is expected to begin in 2028 and finish in 2029.

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