VIDALIA — Vidalia aldermen voted Tuesday to approve a bid to start construction that would make the Port of Vidalia operational in approximately one year.

The approved contract with Womack and Sons Construction Group will cost $8.4 million, approximately $300,000 less than the engineer’s estimate of $8.7 million.

The group will be hired to construct a new barge loading facility for dry bulk goods, an inbound and outbound scale and two moorings. Upon completion of the construction, Port of Vidalia Director Wyly Gilfoil said the 145-acre facility would finally be operational.

“We were excited to get the bids within the engineer’s estimate,” Gilfoil said.

The first feasibility study on the port was made in the 1970s, Gilfoil said, and the project has been a long time coming.

Gilfoil said he hopes to have the contracts signed and a set notice to proceed by February.

“We may be able to have a preconstruction meeting at the first of March or end of February,” he said.

The contract allots for 300 calendar days to complete construction, meaning an operation-start date could come in early 2019.

That plan could be stayed, however, by the need to pre-order materials and weather, Cities Project Manager Guy Murray said.

Gilfoil said the port construction contract was advertised for 30 days in November and that three bids were received.

Of the bids, which were opened on Dec. 14, two proposed over-budget costs.

Riverside Construction Company Inc. of Vicksburg, offered a bid of $8.86 million on the primary construction and two alternates.

Century Construction Group, Inc., of Tupelo gave a $10.17 million bid for all construction including the two alternates.

“We were able to get three good bids,” Gilfoil said. “We chose the least.”

Mayor Buz Craft said he and the aldermen were excited to see the port finally approach an operational stage and potentially bring real economic growth to the town.

Town officials have previously said the port, when complete, will create approximately 200 new jobs.

“The port has been a long process,” Craft said. “It’s going to do a lot of good.”