Work to improve public access to an East End beach has been set back by technical snags and will not be complete before Cup Match as previously hoped.

Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, said that work to restore access to Achilles Bay, near Fort St Catherine, was a priority for the ministry and the project would be back on track “as soon as possible”.

The ministry announced in May that it would work with Smith Hauling and Excavation to start repair work on a set of stairs which lead to the beach, with work expected to take around 11 weeks.

A spokesman said that when the contractor excavated the site, they found no solid rock beneath the steps suitable to be built upon.

“The project had to be halted for a redesign,” the spokesman said. “It is now going back through the planning process, which is expected to take six weeks to complete.

“This delay will mean the beach will not be ready for public use in time for the Cup Match period as initially hoped.”

Colonel Burch added: “I know this news will disappoint people, especially residents in St George’s who were eagerly looking forward to restoring access to the beach.

“I would ask that residents continue to be patient as we do everything we can to ensure that the new walkway access we are building meets all of the safety requirements and can be built to last for many years to come.”

Smith Hauling and Excavating was selected for the project after a request for quotations was published last summer.

A spokesman for the ministry stating that the work at Achilles Bay was estimated to cost nearly $117,000.

The spokesman said that a list of contractors had submitted proposals for the work, which includes demolishing the existing deteriorated walkway structure and building new stairs with reinforced masonry and concrete.

The older staircase was described in planning documents as a “significant risk to public safety” with the stairs and dock showing signs of “major structural failure”.