The U.S. Department of Defense is paying nearly $440,000 to spend 1 1/2 years studying issues directly outside Aberdeen Proving Ground — including flooding from the Bush River, traffic congestion near Route 40 and encrypted communication systems — that could affect the Army facility.

On Tuesday, Harford County’s Board of Estimates approved the $438,900 federal grant, which does not involve any county funds except for the costs associated with county employees’ time, county Economic Development Director Karen Holt said.

The project will look at flood plains around Route 40 that affect travel between APG North in Aberdeen and APG South in Edgewood. It will also examine “encrypted communication challenges among Emergency Response agencies in the area with those inside the gate,” Harford County said in an email.

The review could “identify other issues, but these were the grounds to support our federal award,” the county said.

The project, called a “Military Installation Readiness Review,” will be done by Arizona-based engineering firm HR Green Inc., which Holt said worked with the proving ground in 2014 as part of the yearslong Base Realignment and Closure process.

The BRAC initiative eliminated many of APG’s military jobs and changed it to a largely civilian-run operation, with a new focus on cyber-intelligence and communications thanks to Communications-Electronics Command being moved onto the facility.

Holt, who served as regional BRAC manager from 2006 through 2014, called the new installation review “an opportunity” and said it will involve working with Cecil County and other local partners.

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