VIDALIA — Contstruction to end some of the routine flooding in Concordia Parish could begin in the “near future,” officials said Tuesday.

The Concordia Parish Police Jury on Tuesday approved a payment of approximately $24,000 for a third-party review of plans for the Brushy Bayou drainage project, which will create a drainage system for the northern area of the parish.

The completion of the third-party review, said Brant Jones, an engineer with Jordan, Kaiser and Sessions LLC, alongside acquiring of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits, will pave the way for construction to begin on the drainage system.

Jones said his office has already applied for the grants, and that they now await approval from the Corps.

The police jury approved the $4.6 million project in June 2017, and engineers have since been going through phases of third-party review on the plans for a gated box culvert that will alleviate flooding in the parish.

“Right now,” Jones said, “water goes through the center of the parish to the south. We want to divert it to the Tensas River.”

As the water currently drains — diagonally north to south — many inhabited areas of the parish routinely flood.

The police jury has been trying to secure funds for the drainage project since 2011.

Because any work done on Brushy Bayou must be approved by the Corps, Jones said all work must be approved by a third party.

The most recent review, which Jones said was recently completed, should be the last one necessary to start the project.

Once construction begins, Jones said he forsees the project being completed within 18 months.