The Palmerton Borough Council selected a company Thursday night to do curbing and storm sewer upgrades. This is Part A of road work that will be done this summer. Part B is the borough's 2016 Road Program, which goes out to bid in late May.

The bid chosen for the curb and stormwater sewer project is with Luzerne County Site Contractors in Hazleton. Borough manager Rodger Danielson said the bids actually came in lower than he had expected. The lowest bid and the one selected is $143,250.The curbs that will be upgraded to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements will be those around the borough park and at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Seventh Street. Work is expected to begin soon and will be completed within 90 days from acceptance of the bid, Danielson said. The work will include making ramps and a dimpled surface to help blind people know where the ramps are located.In addition to the ramps, the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Seventh Street will also have storm sewer upgrades. Danielson said new inlets and piping will be installed there."We are anxious to begin our road improvement projects," Danielson said.The borough intends to open the bids at 11 a.m. May 23 that were submitted for the 2016 Road Program. This is Part B of the borough's road improvement projects. The company selected for the work will be announced at the council meeting on May 26.Part B will include paving, in most cases curb-to-curb, of the roads north of Delaware Avenue that run parallel to it, Danielson said. This will include Franklin, Lafayette and Columbia avenues beginning at First Street all the way to East Lane."There will probably be some confusion this summer with the roads being paved," Danielson told the council.He doesn't know which road the contractor will work on first, but figures it may be done in steps. A start date is yet to be determined, but Danielson expects the work will take most of the summer.