CHECK OUT THE BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF THIS STORY -

An early October dedication and ribbon cutting opens the newest segment of the ever-expanding Bluffton Lions Way Pedestrian Pathway, according to Richard Ramseyer, chair of the pathway board.

The newest leg of the pathway is a nine-tenth mile Bentley Road path. The ceremony is at 4 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 2.

Bentley Road’s pathway is a shared projected between the Bluffton Lions Club Foundation, local donations and the Village of Bluffton. The village share was one-third of the cost and involved the repaving of Bentley Road. The local donations provided for the pathway itself.

Originally estimated to cost $195,000, the project came in at under $170,000.

The dedication ceremony takes place at the Elm Street-Bentley Road intersection on the Bluffton University practice soccer field across from the university football stadium. This is the connecting point of the Bentley Road and previously opened Augsburger Road path.

The new eight-foot wide asphalt Bentley Road path connects to the Augsburger path and runs south along the Bluffton University athletic complex to the Riley Creek bridge near Grove Street.

The bridge is slated for replacement in 2022 with a pathway design included.

“Safety is very important for travelers along Bentley Road and the new path helps alleviate that concern,” said Ramseyer.

This is the fifth project of a pathway board, whose goal is to eventually encircle the Village of Bluffton with a pedestrian pathway.

Pathway board members are Richard Ramseyer, Mitch Kingsley, Greg Denecker, John Rich, Dima Snyder, Fred Steiner, Laura Voth and Dr. Jane Wood.