Scott Everett spoke to the North Catasauqua Borough Council recently about planning for development of the D&L Trail along the Lehigh River and the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks in the borough. Everett is the trail manager of the D&L National Heritage Corridor.

The D&L Trail is a path that follows the Lehigh and Delaware canals and the Lehigh Valley Railroad, through Luzerne, Carbon, Northampton, Lehigh and Bucks counties. When completed, its length will measure miles, stretching from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol.

In North Catasauqua, there is a plan to include a small boat landing along the trail for canoes and kayaks that can be carried there. While some of the trail had been completed earlier, other areas are unfinished.

In addition to creating new trail paths, a broken stormwater pipe which has caused erosion in one area must be repaired.

"We now have the [grant] money to do this," Everett said.

He mentioned the project could be done in three steps, first building the trail from the Northampton border to the broken water pipe, next coordinating the middle part of the trail development with the construction currently underway for the new Hokendauqua Bridge and finally, completing the path to the Catasauqua border.

Everett said he would be handling the acquisition of the grant funding, administered by the county.

The borough will assist as needed with the grant and permitting process, and during the construction will lend a hand with brush clearing and provision of some materials. He said the borough will also need to change its ordinance to allow for bike riding on the trail.

Everett estimated the pipe repair will go out for bids this winter and trail construction will begin in late 2015. Completion of the trail construction will be dependent on coordinating with the Hokendauqua Bridge work.

According to a news release from state Rep. Julie Harhart, R 183rd, the grant funding the work is from the Commonwealth Financing Authority under its Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program in the amount of $217,375.

"The D&L Trail is a great recreational resource here in the Lehigh Valley," Harhart said. "This funding will ensure outdoor enthusiasts will be able to bike and hike along the entire expanse of the trail without interruption."

The news release says the grant award will be used to install two pedestrian bridges, replace the broken stormwater pipe and connect three gaps in the trail in the Lehigh Valley between Northampton and Allentown. This project will connect this approximately 7-mile stretch of trail to the completed trail sections to the immediate north and south, the news release states.

The grant funding comes from impact fees on marcellus shale drilling activity.