of a Planning application by the West End Development Corporation.

The 150-year-old Dockyard Gate, which is notoriously narrow and allows only one-way traffic, was the focal point of battle between Wedco and The Bermuda National Trust three years ago.

The 1989 plan to widen the gate by uprooting the western pillar and moving it five feet closer to Casemates Prison brought strong objections from the Trust.

Wedco's new proposal calls for the construction of an additional gate on the western side of the existing gate.

It is understood the Trust has submitted questions to Wedco requesting more information about the plan.

In a press release this week, Wedco said its plan would create a smoother and safer flow of traffic without "widening the existing gate or creating an expensive new approach to Dockyard''.

The statement also said emergency services "are already on record as being concerned at the congestion created by the existing gate''. Barely wide enough to accommodate a bus, the gate is a bottle-neck for the increasing flow of traffic to and from Dockyard.

Since the 1988 bulldozing of a 150-year-old stone gate to widen access to Dockyard's Sallyport Dump, a representative of the Trust has sat on Wedco's development committee to ensure the preservation of such structures.