Almost two years after work started on the Great Pond canal in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, the access way was finally opened early yesterday morning to drain excess water caused by Hurricane Dean, from the pond into the sea.

Stephen Shaw, communications manager at the National Works Agency (NWA) confirmed in an interview with The Gleaner that work crews had finally broken through from the canal into the pond at one end and into the sea at the other end.

This development eased somewhat the fears of residents of Great Bay and Calabash Bay, whose homes were flooded on several occasions in recent years as the pond overflowed its banks.

It was during the passage of Hurricane Wilma in October 2005 that the greatest damage was done with the flood waters forcing more than a dozen families to abandon their homes for several weeks.

The NWA and other state agencies decided then that canals would have to be dug, linking the pond to the sea, thereby serving as a means of draining excess water away from the community into the sea.

Work started shortly thereafter on the first of the planned canals, less than a mile long, close to the Calabash Bay beach, but proceeded at a snails pace, leaving vulnerable residents in great fear.

As Hurricane Dean approached, there were concerns that, even after many months of lobbying, the canal would not be ready for the expected heavy rainfall.

Mr. Shaw conceded that work had not yet been completed but expressed optimism that the makeshift preparations would serve to avert disaster.