A CONTROVERSIAL development project that has alarmed environmentalists and The Canal Authority is under attack from another quarter.

A bunker from World War II that was used by the United States armed force on the banks of the Panama Canal was destroyed earlier this year as part of the construction.

Around 74 years of history were destroyed by heavy machinery beginning in March in a field located near the Miraflores locks.

The site is being developed by the  North Propertiescompany.

The bunker, constructed in 1942, is similar to one located in Quarry Heights which has been turned into an emergency crisis center.

The 5.8 hectare site was acquired by North Properties through a public auction by the Administrative Unit of Reverted Goods in 2013.

[caption id="attachment_63974" align="alignleft" width="300"] The deforested site[/caption]

The site, which has also been cleared of wooded areas, is to be used for the construction of an automotive business.

The project has been criticized for lack of pollution control, which has led to runoff entering the nearby waterway.

Now, the destruction of the bunker has raised concerns that an important part of the country's history has also been impacted.

Company officials have maintained that they have all the required permits for the work.