VIDALIA — The company the Concordia Parish Police Jury filed suit against in June has returned the favor.

W.E. Blain and Sons filed the suit earlier this week, countering the jury’s claims about inadequate construction of roads during the jury’s phase I road construction project, for which Blain was contracted.

The roads began to break, crack and crumble soon after they were completed in August 2007. The jury alleges this was caused, in part, because Blain did not use proper methods when laying the foundation for the roads.

In the countersuit, Blain said any defects in the road were not the result of substandard construction on their part, but because of omissions by engineering firm Bryant Hammett and Associates, who the jury selected to serve as project engineer.

The police jury’s suit also names Bryant Hammett and Associates on allegations of improper inspection during construction.

The project cost was set at approximately $4.3 million, and Blain was paid approximately $3.3 million, payments that stopped when the jury filed the suit.

The company seeks recovery of the unpaid funds plus interest.

The City of Natchez recently awarded Blain the bid for a street overlaying project, and Natchez City Engineer David Gardner has said he does not expect any problems. Gardner said Blain has done good work for the city in the past.