The Government has revealed plans to replace the Mill Creek canal seawall following warnings by a prominent businessman that it is at risk of collapsing and causing widespread flooding in Pembroke.

A Ministry of Public Works spokesman confirmed a plan to replace the seawall on the same day that Ed Faries expressed his concerns about its condition in a story that appeared in The Royal Gazette.

The Government had earlier issued a request for proposals for “Pembroke Canal Outfall Maintenance”.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works said: “The seawall and the outfall are related but separate structures. The seawall holds back high tides, while the outfall is a flap gate that allows the canal to drain when its water level is higher than that of the bay.

“The current RFP is for maintenance of the outfall structure to ensure efficient drainage of the canal at low tides. This does not include any work on the seawall.

“The Ministry of Public Works is planning to replace the seawall. Due to the risk of flooding, the existing seawall cannot be removed before the new one is in place.

“A sheet pile solution is being designed to be installed in front of the existing seawall.

“The ministry is co-ordinating with the planning department to proceed appropriately and is working to make this project feasible within the ministry’s financial planning.”

Mr Faries, who is vice-president, sales and service at Tops Ltd on Mill Creek Road in Pembroke, has long sounded the alarm about the prospect of widespread flooding.

He said the seawall cracks have expanded, raising the prospect that the wall will collapse.

Mr Faries, who has worked on Mill Creek Road for 22 years, added: “This has become pretty serious now. Every day I come in, I wonder if I am going to find Pembroke flooded, not just the road.

“If the wall falls, it will flood all the way to TCD.”

Mr Faries said the seawall has been undermined by saltwater, with the result that the rebar that held it together was rusting away.

He said: “It has a strong chance of simply breaking and falling over.”

Mr Faries said the worst problems occurred during a full moon, when tides were highest.

On October 12, during a full moon, the tide was at 4.6 feet and water poured through the cracks – but it had subsided to 3.9 feet by the following week.

“You are not seeing water flowing through the wall a foot in the air right now,” Mr Faries said.

The next full moon is on November 15.

Mr Faries said: “The wall is collapsing. This doesn’t need to be fixed next year; it needs to be fixed asap. The cracks are getting bigger and bigger.”

There was no word from the Government concerning when the seawall will be replaced.