There’s a new pedestrian and bike path extension in Bluffton.

It parallels Bentley Road on the west side for one-quarter mile from Augsburger Road to Riley Creek Village at the intersection of Richland Drive.

Its dedication and ribbon cutting is at 4 p.m., Monday, Sept. 23, according to Richard Ramseyer, board chair of the Bluffton pathway committee. The dedication, open to the public, will take place near the Riley Village entrance of Bentley Road.

The new pathway extension also connects to the Bentley Road-Augsburger Road paths where:
• The Augsburger Road path extends to Maple Crest Senior Living Community, and
• The Bentley Road, extends south to the bridge at Campus Drive and with its connection to the Parkway path, extends to the Dari Freeze on Main Street.

This newest extension is Phase I of a two-phase project. Phase 2, to be completed in 2020, adds an additional quarter-mile extension from Riley Creek Village to Riley Street. It will be on the east side of Bentley Road.

The Sept. 23 pathway dedication is a shared project involving the pathway board, Bluffton Lions Club and Bluffton Lions Foundation.