Construction of a new emergency communications tower in Camden County is expected to start in late July and be finished by Sept. 30.

City Manager Rich Olson said Friday that Sabre Communications was awarded a $510,310 contract to build the 460-foot, 800-MHz Viper tower.

The project is being paid for by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, according to Olson.

The tower will enable local emergency management officials to communicate through the statewide Viper network.

The contract includes the cost of 700 yards of concrete required for the tower's foundation, Olson said.

The project, which first received bids of up to $800,000, had to be re-bid because the price had to be lower than $600,000, Olson said.

To get the project within budget, the height of the tower was reduced from 480 feet to 460 feet, he said.