A Bethlehem company has been awarded a nearly $900,000 contract to pave multiple parking lots owned by Carbon County.

On Thursday, the board of commissioners voted to award the contract to low bidder Graver Industries Inc., doing business as Barker & Barker Paving. The company bid $876,386.32 for the total project, which includes paving the lots at Mauch Chunk Lake Park, the correctional facility and portions of the county parking lot and D&L Trail in the lot. A total of six companies bid on the project.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said they are hoping work can begin around the end of April.

He cited the first Iron Horse Ramble by Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad, Jim Thorpe Birthday Celebration and Memorial Day weekend, which are all happening in May, as incentives to hopefully get the dirt portion of the overflow parking lot in Jim Thorpe completed as quickly as possible.

“Hopefully they will start that project first and get it done first,” Nothstein said. “We have several big events coming up,” some of them bringing thousands of people to Jim Thorpe.

“It’s going be very busy Memorial Day weekend,” Nothstein added.

Commissioner Rocky Ahner said that paving the upper portion of the lot will provide upward of 20 additional spaces since they will be lined.

Carbon County will use money from the parking lot fund to cover the paving projects.