The rebuilding of University Drive in Schuylkill Haven rolled forward Wednesday as Schuylkill County commissioners approved more funding.

They agreed to set aside an additional $280,000 in liquid fuels money for the project.

University Drive is the road leading from Route 61 to Penn State University’s Schuylkill Haven campus.

Administered by the state Department of Transportation, the county liquid fuels program pays for construction, reconstruction, maintenance and repair of county roads, streets and bridges.

The county owns two roads, University Drive and Airport Road in the Highridge Business Park.

In 2017, the county earmarked, or “encumbered” $250,000 in liquid fuels funds for the University Drive project.

After contracting with engineers Alfred Benesch & Company of Pottsville, and putting the project out on bid, the cost came to $519,4456, said county engineer Lisa Mahall.

Commissioners in May awarded the job to Lehigh Asphalt Paving & Construction of Tamaqua, which bid $455,152.

The total encumbrance will be $530,000, Mahall said.

Mahall said the extra is meant to cover potential change orders.

That buffer came in handy as commissioners also approved an amendment to the contract with Benesch for an increase of $3,560.

The initial contract cost did not anticipate inspections for a total road reconstruction, Mahall said.

In other construction moves, commissioners agreed to encumber $250,000 in liquid fuels to fix county bridge 140, on Weishample Road over Deep Creek, Barry Township.

They also approved a professional services agreement with Benesch for the engineering design of repairs to the bridge at a cost of $122,500.

Of that, $98,500 is for engineering survey, design and permitting, and $24,000 is for the contract and construction administration.

In other matters Wednesday, commissioners authorized 11 repository sale bids.

They include three properties on Evergreen Road in West Penn Township purchased by Diane Billetz Reppert for $1,224 each and 116 Centre St., Tamaqua, by Todd L. Snyder, trustee, for $100. Angela Toomey of the Tax Claim Bureau said the low price was due to the bad condition of the building.

Commissioners also approved the sales of 20 parcels which were sold to the highest bidders at the judicial sale on June 22.

The properties include one on East Moser Avenue of Coaldale, for which John M. Uher bid $2,284.

In other Tax Claim Bureau matters, commissioners approved an addendum extending an existing contract with Comprehensive Microfilm Scanning Services, Inc.

The existing contract provided for payment of $20,045 for the scanning of 400,000 documents at 3-cent an image and $12 an hour for document preparation.

The contractor has scanned 400,000 images to date and determined that there are about 280,000 images remaining. The addendum will extend the term of the agreement to Jan. 31, 2019 and allow the contractor to scan the additional images at the same rates. The county will pay an additional $18,500 to complete the scanning project.