CUMBERLAND — A major public works project in Allegany County is being funded entirely by grants.

Allegany County government’s only contribution to the Braddock Run sanitary sewer interceptor replacement project was designing the project with county experts, county engineer Adam Patterson told the Allegany County Board of Commissioners on Thursday during a public meeting.

The commissioners voted 3-0 to award the project to Grantsville-based Byco Enterprises Inc., headed by company president Tim Bender. Byco will replace approximately 9,000 linear feet of existing 15-inch sanitary sewer interceptor line from Piney Mountain Road in Eckhart to Red Hill on the upper end of LaVale.

Byco was one of seven bidders for the project and was the low bid at $1.23 million, below an engineer’s estimate of $1.7 million. Glenn Johnston Inc., McKeesport, Pa., was second low-bidder at $1.38 million, followed by: HRI Inc., State College, Pa., $1.53 million; Beitzel Corp., Grantsville, $1.56 million; D&M; Contracting, New Alexandria, Pa., $1.62 million; Carl Belt Inc., Cumberland, $1.71 million; and Excavating Associates, Hyndman, Pa., $1.98 million.

Patterson said the work will replace an “aging and failing” line installed in the mid-1960s. Work also will help the county comply with a Maryland Department of the Environment consent order to stem excessive infiltration from the existing sewer line.

MDE awarded a grant of $500,000. Paul Kahl, deputy director of the Department of Public Works, said the county Department of Economic Development was instrumental in securing an additional $1 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant ($720,885) and the Appalachian Regional Commission ($300,000).

A notice to proceed will be given to Byco in the near future. Work is expected to be completed in late summer 2010.

Contact Kevin Spradlin at kspradlin@times-news.com.