The price tag for Florala’s Main Street project came in nearly $200,000 under budget, Utilities Board Chairman Marvin Williford said Monday.

The project, which will move water and sewer pipes from the middle of Fifth Avenue and install new ones on the road’s rights-of-way from the Mastar building to the water tower near Piggly Wiggly, was originally estimated at $485,000. Williford said four companies submitted bids for the project. One was rejected because it did not meet bid specs, and the winning bid – $314,663 submitted by R&B Construction of Andalusia – was $100,000 cheaper than the others.

“Needless to say, we were very pleased to learn (the cost of the project) didn’t hit as hard as we thought it was going to,” Williford said of the cash project, meaning no grant money or loans will be used to cover the cost. “Work should start sometime late September or early October and be finished by Christmas.”

Construction was scheduled to begin in January; however, the project was on hold, awaiting DOT permit approval on state requested design change that would have doubled the construction price. Those permits were granted in July.