Tallinn - Construction work on a new landmark Freedom Monument in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, was halted Thursday when it was discovered to be nearly three tons heavier than expected.

During a morning installation process for the monument, which takes the form of a 26-metre-tall glass cross, a crane recorded that it was 2,700 kilos heavier than anticipated.

Work was halted while engineers worked out if supporting pillars were strong enough to cope with the extra weight.

"Additional calculations have confirmed that the cross is certainly more difficult than initially considered," said a statement from the Estonian defence ministry, which is responsible for the project, whose aesthetic appeal has divided Tallinn residents.

However, work resumed in the afternoon once it was confirmed that the supporting structure would be able to bear the cross.

"I can confirm that the cross is up," defence ministry spokesman Martin Jasko told the German Press Agency dpa. He said the hitch would not affect the monument's official unveiling on June 23.

Czech company Sans Souci, which manufactured the cross, is calculating why its huge creation turned out to be even bigger than planned. (dpa)