Repair work on the dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee is on hold – while engineers work to determine how best to bolster the aging structure.

The 300-million-dollar project started in January…but engineers discovered some of the concrete they’d poured wasn’t setting up correctly.

Corps spokeswoman Nanciann Regalado says unexpected sand deposits were weakening the concrete - so repairs were stopped to make sure they were done right…

“We’re getting ready to start a pilot project in fact. Everything’s going to be done on a scale that would allow us to go back and re-evaluate without being so far down the path that we have a major, major project stopping and then starting over again from scratch.”

The pilot project gets underway next month near Pahokee on the lake’s southeastern rim.

The 25-year federally-funded repair job began after a state consultant said the 143-mile-long dike was at risk of collapsing.