The Seoul Administrative Court approved the partial resumption of a controversial tideland reclamation project Friday after issuing an injunction against it earlier this week.

The court said in a ruling that it decided to allow builders to resume the reinforcement of a sea wall of the Saemangeum project, citing environmental damage that may be caused by the incomplete structure.

The massive project is aimed at building a gigantic sea wall off the west coast to create a large tract of arable land.

Environmentalists and civic activists have demanded a halt, claiming the wall would cause an environmental disaster.

After years of debate, the court ruled Tuesday that the project should be suspended until the final decision in a lawsuit filed by environmentalists against the government, demanding that the project be scrapped.

On Friday, however, the court said it decided to allow reinforcement of the wall to resume. It said that if nothing is done, the incomplete wall could cause greater environmental damage than the suspension of construction work.