Carbon accepts bids for paving at Mauch Chunk park

Carbon County officials want to maintain Mauch Chunk Lake Park so visitors can enjoy it for years to come.

On Thursday, the commissioners opened bids for a paving project at the park. There were four alternate paving location options: the swimming area parking lot, pavilion entrance and exit lanes, boat launch B and the Penn State Extension parking area.

Bids were submitted by six paving companies for the four alternate options.

Bruce George Paving and Excavating of Kunkletown submitted the apparent low bid for alternate 1 at a cost of $34,804.75. Barker & Barker Paving and Excavating of Bethlehem was the low bidder for alternate 2 with $15,428 and alternate 3 at $27,569.50. Livengood Excavators Inc. of Walnutport submitted the low bid for alternate 4 at $17,562.74.

The county will review the bids and the alternate options to determine what parts of the project will be completed.

Commissioner William O’Gurek said the parking fund has approximately $750,000, which is generated by parking fees in the county-owned parking lot. That fund is used for projects that promote tourism in the county, such as Mauch Chunk Lake Park.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said the county has been using money from the parking fund to pay for projects like this, whether it is at the train station, Josiah White Park or Mauch Chunk Lake Park, because it benefits the county with bringing in tourists.

“The sooner we address it, the better off we are going to be,” Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard said in relation to the current state of the roads and parking areas at the lake.

The commissioners hope to have the paving done before the April 15 start of the camping, boating and fishing season.