Planners Envision $200M Park Over Ga. 400

BUCKHEAD, GA -- Urban planners envision transforming the Lenox Square-area of the Ga. 400 corridor with a "floating" park cascading over the top of it.

The $200 million idea would alleviate traffic, be an instant national tourist attraction and serve as a beacon for creative green space.

The plan to build a park over the highway in the city's priciest ZIP code is not a new one, the concept study was approved in November, but the idea is picking up steam this week as projections advance.

“This is the big opportunity that we have to actually create a substantial public realm that would be the community living room,” Jim Durrett, executive director of the Buckhead Community Improvement District, told WSB-TV.

The designers are looking internationally for precedent: In Eindhoven, Netherlands, a suspended cycle path roundabout called the Hovering, is a world attraction as it allows bicyclists to travel above commuting automobiles. In 2014, the Cykelslangen, an elevated bike bridge, debuted in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The centerpiece of the project would be a plaza area, community gardens and a park. “That allow for you and I to sit down and share a sandwich and a conversation over lunch,” the project's designer, Robert Rogers, was quoted as saying.

Image via Buckhead CID