In a presentation to the select board Tuesday, Tighe & Bond, the company in charge of the East Chop revetment and coastal bank restoration project, anticipated that construction could start September 2025 and potentially end in May 2027.
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 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.
In an effort to stall the deterioration of an eroding bluff in Oak Bluffs, the town may keep the seaward side of East Chop drive closed for the summer.
A recent engineering study of the East Chop bluff has revealed further deterioration of the region, which was severely damaged by erosion and major storm events in recent years.
The scenic rural roadway hugs the long stretch of bluff jutting into Nantucket Sound beyond the Oak Bluffs harbor before falling sharply to sea level as it curves around Crystal Lake, eventually reconnecting with Eastville avenue.
The Oak Bluffs selectmen voted Tuesday to restrict traffic on East Chop Drive to one lane this winter out of concern for the unstable condition of the eroding bluff beneath the road. The vote came as the town continues to wrangle for funding to fix the bluff, and as East Chop residents press for a complete closure of the road this winter.
