MCCANDLESS (KDKA) — The dredging project at North Park Lake is facing a challenge.

“Right now we don’t have access to it because the water is not down quite far enough,” Bernie Rossman, deputy director of Allegheny County Public Works, said.

Last week’s rain prematurely filled the lake before the county could get the dredging work done.

Once the water drains, Rossman estimates removal of the remaining sludge will take about a day and a half of work.

While the water drains, crews are busy on the Army Corp of Engineers side of the project -removing the road bed built for the trucks.

The fish habitats have already been installed and once the county side is drained, dredged and graded, habitats must be installed there as well.

That will probably take up to two weeks which Rossman says puts them on track for the May 1 completion date.

“Not unless we get an unexpected rain storm that fills the lake up and creates a situation where we’re going to have to wait for it to drain again,” he said.