The Coplay-Whitehall Sewer Authority will get a little more help from PennDOT than originally anticipated.

CWSA held a special meeting Aug. 2 to settle a dispute with PennDOT over costs to reconstruct the sewer line that will be disrupted by the construction of the Hokendauqua to North Catasauqua Bridge.

The authority assumed the full cost of the replacement would be borne by PennDOT because the line is in satisfactory shape.

At CWSA's July meeting, PennDOT pointed to rules that required it to pay less than a third of the cost.

At the special meeting, CWSA and PennDOT agreed to revised terms whereby PennDOT agreed to pay 65 percent of the cost of the replacement.

"We got everything that we could get…and we have an option to go to the utilities board to see if they will reimburse us for the rest of the cost," said Solicitor Jack Stover after the meeting.

CWSA will not cause any delay to the projected start date for the necessary bridge repair. The other major project, increasing the sewer capacity to the Lehigh Valley Mall, requires contractors to bore a pipeline tunnel under Route 22.

"All the easements are secured," reported Stover.

Jenkins reported that the contractor will mobilize to start the project.

Darryl Jenkins, the authority's engineer with SSM Group Inc., updated the board during its regular meeting Aug. 16 on another major sewer project.

"We had a preconstruction meeting with the general contractor, subcontractors and government officials to start the Coplay Creek Interceptor project. All went well…no known problems were identified to take the projects off budget or delay the schedule," said Jenkins.

Necessary easements are secured, according to Stover. The Coplay Creek Interceptor project is a multimillion dollar construction project designed to reduce clear water infiltration into the sewer system.

In other business, the CWSA purchased a vehicle to replace a 1996 utility vehicle which the board donated to Coplay to replace a 1986 truck that the borough sent to salvage.

Coplay Councilman David Royer thanked the authority for the donation and delivered the nominal purchase price needed for the transfer.