Tamaqua will be able to afford all the necessary repairs to the Wabash Creek Culvert. Borough Manager Kevin Steigerwalt made the announcement during Tuesday night's meeting of borough council.

The borough's engineering firm identified 25 areas of the culvert as needing to be repaired. "We weren't sure we could afford it all," Steigerwalt said, but after the bid opening, it turns out that they can. The total bid awarded to Solid Wall LLC was in the amount of $133,553, which was below the anticipated cost.Steigerwalt said the bid package contained a base bid and 16 additional alternates, creating a menu that the borough would be able to choose from if the bids exceeded the available amount. Most of the work that needs to be done is near the Tamaqua Public Library on South Railroad Street.Steigerwalt said work will start as soon as the paperwork is completed, probably within a month. He expects all the work will be completed before the bridge replacement project that is slated to begin next year on West Broad Street.He said the borough's engineering firm has worked with this company in the past and feels comfortable working with them on this project.The borough also had continued success with its online auction of used equipment. Successful bids were received for a vintage Coca-Cola cooler, in the amount of $411; a commercial sink, for $136; a commercial refrigerator for $100; a 2004 Dodge Intrepid police car for $725, and two used tires that "still had some life in them" for $52.Another bid was received for a police light bar that was lower than the set minimum bid, but council voted to approve the bid for $20.Steigerwalt updated council on two projects - the make-ready work for the acquisition of the streetlights from PPL by the borough, and preparations for the proposed detour for the West Broad Street Bridge project. Both projects are being reviewed.Council is proposing a 38,000-pound weight limit along the detour route and limited travel to single-axle trucks. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will have to approve the proposal for it to go into effect.