The Brookhaven Board of Aldermen Tuesday accepted the bid ofGreenbriar Digging Service for more than $2.3 million in majorsewer work around the city.

Mayor Bob Massengill said the sewer work bid, which came in at$2,356,469.50, covers six different areas of town. The board voteon the bid came after an executive session called for contractnegotiations.

“Actually we accepted it on four areas, but we’ve got a plan onthe other two areas as well,” Massengill said.

One of those additional areas is replacing a lift station in theNatchez Avenue area. The old one has been in place since 1972.

“The life of a lift station is not 36 years,” said the mayor.”We know this needs to be done.”

Other projects will take place from Field Lark Lane to Kids’Kingdom on Industrial Park Drive; on Industrial Park Drive fromKids’ Kingdom to Union Street; in the “east interceptor” area onthe east side of town crossing Williams Street. On the west side oftown, the final project will go on in the area of BrookwayBoulevard, Comstock and West Chippewa Streets.

The presentation to the board was made by Williford Gearhart andKnight’s Mike McKenzie, who is handling the engineering behind theproject.

“The city is extremely pleased with this bid and we’re anxiousto get this work started,” Massengill said.

The project is to upgrade and replace old clay pipe with PVCpipe.

“We’ve got needs, just as other older towns do,” Massengillsaid. “This is one you don’t see, because it’s not aboveground.”

Massengill said the project is funded in part with federalmoney, so the city is responsible for 45 percent of the cost of theproject. Federal funds will cover the other 55 percent.

“The project from outset was expected to be $2.7 millionincluding engineering fees and other costs, so we’re pleased withthe outcome,” Massengill said. “We’re going back and making someminor changes to the original plan, which will make the projectaffordable with the bid we accepted.”

The project was made possible by congressional delegates inWashington, Massengill said, but also by the efforts of cityofficials who have made yearly trips recently to keep the needs ofthe area top on their priority lists.

“We wouldn’t have gotten this money if they hadn’t gone to batfor us,” said Massengill. “And that is a result of our trips toWashington. This is exciting for us and hopefully there will befurther projects to come in the future along these lines.”