Concern has been expressed over the lengthy project to shore up the Pembroke canal on Woodlands Road.

The Royal Gazette reported earlier this month how the project, which began in February, is not due to be completed until the end of next month.

Works and Engineering Minister Derrick Burgess said wet weather and the unexpected need to stabilise a layer of peat moss below the mud line are the reasons why the work has taken so long. The westbound lane of Woodlands Road has been closed to traffic since it began.

David Grenfell, who describes himself as a "concerned citizen" who works near the site, later contacted The Royal Gazette to express concern over the project.

"We see the crew working (and) pumping out the water every day, weekends as well. It must be costing a small fortune," he said. "They are filling in the canal with baskets full of rocks to stabilise Woodlands Road. The only thing is, there is now less space for the water. We are going to see more and more flooding everytime we get a little rain. There must be a better way to fix the problem."

Mr. Grenfell claimed engineers must have known about the peat moss before the work began, since "the whole area is one big bog".

He continued: "The whole project has been a farce from the start. It started with them trying to pump out the water day after day with it only filling back up as fast as they pumped out. This went on for weeks with no real work being completed. Now they have nearly filled in the canal with the gabion basket with boulders, where is the water going to go?"

He admitted that he had not seen the plan of the finished project, so is in no position to judge whether it will work. However, he said he would like to know what the original cost was projected as, and where this stands now.

Asked if he could respond to Mr. Grenfell's concerns, Government's Construction and Maintenance Highways Engineer Curtis Charles did not provide figures on the cost but said the Ministry has been working with the contractor to reduce it.

Mr. Charles explained that the canal is shallow in one area where the water tends to steer on to the Woodlands Road and BAA car parking area.

"It is our thought that the canal at this location is receiving the dirt that washes into the city storm drains from the construction sites nearby," he explained. He added that an opening under Woodlands Road known as the culvert that feeds water to the work site is filled with sand and debris.

"The water still flows around this mass of material but it is an indication that what is happening on the streets of Hamilton can affect this canal," he noted.

Mr. Charles explained that in another area where the canal is wider and deeper, engineers aim to maintain the water velocity when it discharges from the culvert and allow the water energy to continue towards the canal near Belco.