A downtown street paving project is back on schedule afteraldermen awarded a contract for the work during Tuesday night’smeeting.

In December, aldermen rejected a $697,146.34 bid from Dickersonand Bowen because it exceeded funds available for the project. CityEngineer Carl Ray Furr said Tuesday night, however, that the cityis in line to receive another $110,000 in fiscal year 2006 federalfunds Oct. 1.

“We can borrow against that to move our project on,” Furrsaid.

Furr said accumulated federal funds plus the advanced creditswill allow the city to award the contract and not have to rebid.Aldermen formally rescinded their earlier rejection and voted toproceed with the project.

Furr said officials are also looking for cost-cutting measuresin the project. He mentioned potential savings in the area ofstreet base repairs, the cost of which may have been overestimatedinitially.

“It’s something you’re going to have to find out once you getout there and find where the bad places are,” Furr said.

Mayor Bob Massengill said the work with handicap access activitywill begin in March.

“The actual paving will be done at night,” Massengill said.

To do that, Massengill said, temperatures must be in the 50s.Therefore, the paving was not expected to be done until May orJune.

Because of the anticipated base repair savings, officials saidthe city may not have to dip too far into the 2006 funds.

Massengill also mentioned a state transportation departmentproject to overlay and widen portions of Monticello Street, alsoknown as Highway 184, from Highway 51 to the Highway 84 bypass. Hesaid that project would save the city some money on work needed atthe intersection of Jackson Street and Monticello Street.

The project also involves a portion of Schwem Avenue and WestCongress Street. While the paving project is done, Ward FiveAlderman Tom Smith suggested a large culvert be installed to fixsome flooding problems in that area.

“If you’re going to tear it up, why not do it now and get itover with,” Smith said.

Massengill said the city had no control over the state project.However, he said he could talk to state officials about theculvert.

In other project activity, aldermen awarded a $39,415 contractto Greenbriar Digging Service to provide water and sewerinfrastructure to the Cortez Byrd project under development onEastpark Lane. The city has received a $70,000 grant for theproject.

“This is well within the confines of our grant,” Furr said.

Also, Furr said a Center Street widening and paving project hasbeen given the go-ahead using funds left over from the IndustrialPark Road overpass project. The engineer expected work to startsoon on the project.

“We ought to have dirt flying in 30 days, or at least someactivity,” Furr said.