The Brookhaven Board of Aldermen’s $3.1 million paving plan that allowed 77 streets to be repaved is now complete.

Ryan Holmes with Dungan Engineering reported to the board at Tuesday’s meeting that the citywide paving project that began in January is finished.

“Paving is more or less complete,” Holmes said. “They’ve got some striping to do and some touch up work around town. There may be a few little spots on some of these streets they’ve got to go back and do a patchwork, clean up work to make it look just right. They’ve got to do some cleaning — clean out some of the gutters. They’ll be working on that, but all in all they’re done.”

Holmes did not comment on whether the project finished within the budget set by the board. At a previous meeting, he said Dickerson & Bowen, the project contractor, was staying on track with it.

“Contrary to the way city paving has been carried out in past years, the mayor and Board of Aldermen embarked upon a much larger paving project in 2016,” city officials said in a letter at the start of the project. “In order to provide a systematic plan of assessing and grading streets by professionals, the city hired Dungan Engineering to evaluate and present to the board a plan to improve our major thoroughfares and poor or failed auxiliary roads.”

Engineers evaluated every street in the city, and officials said paving funds have been directed to those streets that were found to be in the worst condition. Through this process, the board was able to more than triple the number of miles ordinarily paved.

“The goal of the city board is to get all our city streets in great condition,” officials said in a statement. “Weather permitting, your street will be paved as soon as possible if it is on the 2016 list.”

Manhole repair

The board approved a bid for $4,600 from Greenbriar, a construction company, to fix a manhole at the intersection of West Congress Street and North Church Street at Tuesday’s meeting. Damage was caused by the drainage system.

Water superintendent Kris Xifos informed the board of the issue.

“A few months back we replaced a manhole across from Piggly Wiggly,” Xifos said. “That manhole was originally formed at the same time this one was. It is an old brick manhole.”

Grennbriar will fix the manhole and replace 14 feet of the pipe inlet, Xifos said.

Xifos said the company will begin work on the manhole Thursday. He warned that the whole intersection could be closed at times while work is in progress.

Downtown street renovation

Holmes reported on a work session, held before the regular meeting, regarding renovating the downtown Brookhaven streets.

“We had a work session on the downtown parking study,” Holmes said. “I gave a report on that study to the board and the downtown business owners. At this point I think they are just going to take it under advisement.”

Mayor Joe Cox said the board would review the information Holmes presented but wanted to see cost estimates before proceeding with the study.

In other board business:

• The board appointed city building inspector David Fern as the flood plain management director.

• The board approved public works director Keith Lewis’ request to allow the wastewater treatment plant to switch from Blue Sky internet to Cable One fiber optic internet for an increase of $180 a month.

• Ward 4 Aldermen Shirley Estes requested that the board allow her to use money budgeted for a park in Ward 4 that was never approved to pave a section of South Street. According to Estes, part of the street is still concrete, which results in many potholes. After a heated debate among the aldermen, the motion died for lack of a second.

• The board approved a work session on Aug. 9 at 5 p.m. to begin working on next year’s budget.