A proposed streetscape project in Tamaqua looks like it won't be as expansive as the borough originally hoped. When bids were opened last week, they came in much higher than expected, which puts parts of the plan for Center Street and the Center Street Bridge on hold.

"We have $198,000 available for the project, and the minimum that we were looking at doing, the bids came in at $243,000," said Borough Manager Kevin Steigerwalt at Tuesday night's council meeting. Borough officials were hoping to complete the project before winter.Steigerwalt presented four different options that included parts of the project for council to consider. The first option was the entire project, which included placing streetlights on the Center Street bridge, and the sidewalks along the east side of Center Street, including trees, but no pavers, which totaled the entire bid at about $243,000.Steigerwalt said that the borough could reject the bids, and rebid the project next spring. However, he cautioned that the proposed construction could interfere with next year's major construction project on the bridge on West Broad Street, which has an extensive detour route involved. Additionally, there is no guarantee that the bids would be any lower.The third option skipped placing the lights on the bridge, but would include sidewalk work on the east side of Center Street from the bridge to Spruce Street, and the west side of Spruce street from the bridge to Advance Auto. This option would include the placement of trees, but no pavers.The fourth option included the lights on the bridge and the east side of Center street from the bridge and approximately half of the first block, from the bridge to the location of the Access services building. If the borough elected not to place the trees in the area, the plan would come in under the proposed budget, at approximately $194,000. If the trees were included, the plan would be over budget at $205,000.Steigerwalt had one more option, which included the lights on the bridge, and a section of Center Street from Spruce Street south toward a large apartment building, leaving a gap in the sidewalk between the building and the bridge. Without the placement of decorative trees, this option would also come in under budget.Councilman Micah Gursky said that the primary objective of the original funding for the project was to place the lighting on the bridge, and he felt that any of the options considered should include the lighting.Council voted to proceed with the fourth option, which included lighting the bridge and the first section of Center Street, from the bridge north, without the trees.In other roadwork related matters, Council approved a resolution to upgrade the traffic signal at Hunter and Spruce streets.The intersection will be seeing an increase in traffic and a change in traffic patterns when the West Broad Street bridge project starts next year, and the upgrade will change the signal to a modern fixture.Council also approved a PPL outdoor light service order to move streetlights at the Spruce and South Railroad Street intersection in anticipation of next year's project, and a move for the streetlights at Greenwood and Hazel Street as part of the borough's move to obtain ownership of the streetlights from PPL.