GOUVERNEUR — Bids opened Thursday for the first phase of a water project to benefit Kinney Drugs and the east side of the village are in line with or below expectations.

The apparent low bidder was Adhan Piping, Cortland, which bid $670,485. Consultants from Bernier, Carr & Associates, Watertown, will go over the bids submitted by nine contractors and make a recommendation to the village Board of Trustees.

“Everything’s preliminary. The day they get it ready, I will call for a special board meeting,” Mayor Ronald P. McDougall said. “This is fast track.”

Officials want to start the work within the next few weeks so it can be in place by the end of the year.

“That’s our goal,” Mr. McDougall said.

The work is designed to be a short-term upgrade primarily to assist the Kinney warehouse, which needs better water flow and pressure for fire protection.

Additional improvements are expected when the state Department of Transportation rebuilds Route 11 through that part of the village.

The phase one work will be paid for by a combination of grant funding and village borrowing.

Bernier, Carr had estimated the cost of the work around $850,000. Two-thirds of the contractors were near or under that amount, Mr. McDougall said.

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