Brookhaven residents who bike or walk along the Peachtree Creek Greenway will eventually be able to cross Interstate 85 without getting in a car, thanks to a $15.8 million funding commitment from Emory University announced Tuesday, July 14.

The deal clears the way for final design and construction of the Peachtree Creek Greenway Connector Bridge, an arch-style pedestrian and bicycle span that will link Brookhaven's Buford Highway corridor directly to Emory's Executive Park district on the other side of the freeway. No residential property taxes will fund the project, Brookhaven officials said.

"Together with the City of Brookhaven, [Emory], and our public and private partners, we are creating infrastructure that connects people to jobs, healthcare, recreation, and one another while strengthening our regional transportation network for generations to come," DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran Johnson said in a statement accompanying the announcement.

Emory will pay the $15.8 million over 10 years. The rest of the project's cost will come from private investment and partner contributions outlined in the agreement, according to Brookhaven officials. The city has not disclosed a total project cost or specified the funding mechanisms.

The bridge is part of a broader push to connect the Buford Highway corridor and the greenway's second phase to the Atlanta Beltline, PATH400, and DeKalb County's Trails and Greenways Network. Emory donated the required easements in 2019, and Asbury Automotive Group has also donated easements for the project.

On the Emory side, Executive Park is planned as a health innovation district near the I-85 and North Druid Hills Road interchange. Emory's master plan, published around 2019, estimates the full build-out at up to $1 billion in direct and indirect investment, with an ongoing annual economic impact exceeding $650 million within Brookhaven. Those figures have not been publicly updated, and the development is planned to unfold over 15 or more years.

The Brookhaven Brief newsletter reported the deal also eliminates a previously proposed special-tax increase, though details of that measure were not available for independent confirmation.

The greenway's 1.1-mile second phase, running from the Atlanta city line to North Druid Hills Road, is scheduled to break ground in 2026, with construction taking about two years, Brookhaven officials said.

A finalized bridge design is scheduled for late 2027, with groundbreaking targeted for 2028, officials said.