Benton County accepts easements to pave Pilkington‑to‑Merloy segment of Corvallis–Albany path; construction aimed for summer

Owen Moller, civil engineer with Benton County Public Works, asked the board on May 7 to accept two easements needed to construct the Pilkington Avenue to Merloy Avenue section of the Corvallis‑to‑Albany multiuse path. Moller said the larger corridor project has been segmented for cost and scheduling reasons and that this Pilkington‑Merloy section is slated for construction this summer once easements are finalized.

Moller told commissioners that the team is still negotiating one easement with Children’s Farm Home but that once the outstanding documents are in place the county will advertise and move to construction. He said the state’s US‑20 safety project has widened some corridors so future path connections can be accommodated but that the county must still study safe crossings for certain segments.

Commissioner Pat Malone moved to accept and approve the public‑utility and access easements and temporary easements for construction for the Pilkington to Merloy segment; the motion was seconded and carried by those present. Staff agreed to provide commissioners with a segment‑by‑segment table showing status, funding sources and outstanding gaps.