For the second time in a week, Purcell Construction Corp. of Watertown has won a big government contract — but this one is at Fort Drum.

The company has been awarded a $35.5 million contract to build two barracks and a headquarters building for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, the Department of Defense announced Tuesday in a news release.

The project should employ about 150 combined regular Purcell employees and subcontracted workers, company president Mark S. Purcell said Tuesday.

"We had a good week," Mr. Purcell said.

Last week his company, which has built dozens of school, military and commercial projects in New York, New Jersey and Virginia, garnered a $66.1 million contract to build three barracks at Fort Lee, Va.

Mr. Purcell said this will be the fourth barracks project his company has built at Fort Drum, home of the Army's 10th Mountain Division.

"It's very similar to three or four projects we have already done out there."

One of the barracks buildings will be two stories and the other three stories, he said.

The company will have 18 months to complete the job; the work is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2009, the Defense Department release said.

Bids were solicited from 10 firms, but only the Purcell firm submitted a bid, the Defense Department said. The Army Corps of Engineers is the supervising contracting agency.

Mr. Purcell said he believed that this latest contract is driven by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission process. BRAC is the government agency responsible for closing operations at some military bases and posts and consolidating them in others in a cost-saving effort.

Purcell Construction has been in business since 1973. In addition to its Coffeen Street office in Watertown, it has offices in Prince George, Va., and at Fort Drum.