The long-planned project to re-engineer the East Chop bluff got a major boost with an announcement by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that it has awarded $10 million to the town.
A multi-million-dollar project to engineer and stabilize the badly eroded bluff along East Chop Drive has seen its timeline pushed farther into the future, while town officials worry about ongoing deterioration.
Work on the East Chop bulkhead and jetties to prevent further erosion of the sightly cliff and drive, began on Tuesday when a gang of workmen in charge of superintendent H. L. Curtis of C. W. Blakelee and Sons, Inc., of New Haven, Conn., made the first preparatory moves on the big job at the foot of Atlantic avenue where the bulkhead will begin.
East Chop Drive is closed until further notice due to further deterioration of the bluff caused by the recent gauntlet of northeasters hammering the coast.
A project to restore the eroding East Chop Bluff is inching closer to reality, although the town is still seeking funding for the $17 to $20 million project.
A plan of action for the eroding East Chop Bluff is taking shape in Oak Bluffs, where the town recently received state funding to get started on a substantial restoration.
Oak Bluffs got an early Christmas present this week from the state, which has awarded $225,000 to fund design work to protect the eroding bluff. The bluff underlies the scenic but endangered East Chop Drive.
The seaward side of East Chop Drive will remain closed until further notice, as the bluff beneath continues to experience erosion. Selectmen voted this week to restrict traffic on the scenic drive, making this the first time the road has been limited to one lane during the summer.
