Twenty years after Benton County officials began discussing a bike path between Corvallis and Albany, the project has recently reached another decision point.
The Benton County Board of Commissioners will consider a recommended route on Tuesday, Sept. 15, for the unfinished section of the Corvallis-to-Albany Shared Use Path.
The proposed alignment would extend approximately 5.6 miles from NE Merloy Avenue in Corvallis to Rainwater Lane in North Albany. Its preliminary construction estimate is approximately $33 million.
(Photo: Highway 20 Bike Path)
It should be noted that commissioners are not being asked to spend that amount of money on Tuesday. Instead, they will decide whether planners should begin conceptual design, refine the route, and produce more reliable cost estimates.
With that price tag, it’s fair to assume construction funding has not yet been secured.
The proposed path would begin where an existing path ends near Merloy Avenue and follow the south side of Highway 20. Most of it would be 12 feet wide, with shoulders and a buffer separating it from vehicle traffic.
Planners are considering two different ways to cross Bowers Slough. Bowers Slough is a wetland along Highway 20 near Independence Highway and Bowers Rock State Park. It is part of the Willamette River floodplain and includes wetlands and habitat that will complicate construction.
(Photo: Bowers Slough Bridge/The Corvallis Inquirer)
One option would remain beside Highway 20 and require a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge. The estimated cost for that segment is approximately $10.5 million.
A less expensive alternative would use part of Old Highway 20 and its existing bridge, which was built in 1925. The problem is that Old Highway 20 is privately owned. Project officials have contacted the owners, but the report says, “to date, they have not been supportive.”
Boo. Does that remind you of another trail-connectivity issue, like the Corvallis-to-the-Sea Trail?
Even if using the old road becomes possible, it would still require purchasing it or obtaining easements. That option would cost around $7.6 million, compared with the $10.5 million estimate for the alternative that would not use the old bridge. It would still be a significant expense.
Longstanding reporting traces the path proposal to discussions by Benton County commissioners all the way back to 2003. The Benton County Planning Commission rejected the necessary permit in February 2015.
Public outreach restarted in 2016. Commissioners authorized another planning phase in January 2017 and selected a Highway 20 corridor that June.
The project was then placed on hold in 2018. Work resumed in 2020, when Benton County began coordinating with ODOT on sections running parallel to the highway.
The project team began its current alignment study in August 2025 and has contacted almost 100 property owners and businesses. During a May discussion, Commissioner Nancy Wyse emphasized minimizing effects on property owners and selecting a financially realistic alignment. Commissioner Pat Malone said the path could serve both recreation and commuting.
Albany Assistant City Engineer Robert Emmons also endorsed the connection. “The path would provide an important link between the two communities by encouraging alternative commuting options and expanding recreation opportunities,” Emmons wrote.
If commissioners approve the recommendation on Tuesday, planners will refine the route, investigate property and easement requirements, study environmental effects, and decide how to cross Bowers Slough.
They will also develop a construction phasing plan, update the cost estimates, and conduct another round of public engagement in early 2027.
Currently, it’s more about selecting a route. Finding $33 million to build it would become the project’s next significant detour. It could be enough to add another 20 years.
This article was written by Brian Lindensmith, a contributor to The Corvallis Inquirer. Feel free to send us your stories or articles to publish at: editor@corvallisnow.com
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Who are these private property owners?!