A plan to retrofit Bluestone Dam near Hinton is getting more time to complete a development agreement.

The state Economic Development Authority granted a three-month extension for the $70 million project Thursday. It had faced a December 31 deadline for having financing and construction contracts in place under terms of a $2.5 million loan from the authority.

Hinton Mayor Cleo Matthews asked the board to grant the extension. He says the project has been slowed by delays in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' plan to reinforce the dam with 600 anchors, among other problems. Matthews says that work was scheduled to finish this month, but has been pushed back to 2017.

The project also is embroiled in a lawsuit over who has development rights.