A contract for a sewer extension project east of De Queen, Ark., was awarded Friday at De Queen City Hall.
Humbard Contracting of Green Forest, Ark., will be the project contractor, De Queen Mayor Billy Ray McKelvey said. The company had the lowest of two bids at $320,930.10.
Greg Vaughn of Vaughn Engineering in Mena, Ark., designed the project, which will include a sewer pump station and 2,494 feet of pipe. About two-thirds of the pipe will be gravity flow, and one-third will be a force main.
"The contractor will arrive onsite early next week, and materials will begin arriving soon after that," McKelvey said.
"Duration of the contract is 90 days, but there is a good chance it will not take that long. The engineer will have an inspector on site for the duration of the job."
The project will ultimately connect a new car dealership-now under construction-to city services. It will also make the sewer available to two other existing businesses.
"Having access to a public waste water system is vital for economic development," McKelvey said.
The city will pay for the cost of construction with reserve funds in the waste water department. "The project is made easier by the fact that the city does not need to obtain financing," he said.
"Efforts have been made to minimize the visual impact of the project. The pump station will be underground and parts of the line will be deep to prevent the need for lines exposed above ground."