The long-planned project to re-engineer and shore up the East Chop bluff in Oak Bluffs got a major boost Thursday with an announcement by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that it has awarded $10 million to the town.

The pre-disaster mitigation grant will go toward the cost of reconstructing 1,200 linear feet of the original engineered coastal bank and stone revetment along East Chop Drive, a press release said.

“FEMA is extremely pleased to assist Oak Bluffs in their efforts to build more resilient infrastructure,” said FEMA Region 1 regional administrator Lori Ehrlich in the release.

The agency further praised the town for appropriating $6.9 million at the annual town meeting this spring to put towward the project.

“That local taxpayers voted to fund part of the project was a demonstration of the town’s commitment to protecting itself from coastal erosion hazards, including those caused by climate change,” Ms. Ehrlich said in the release.

According to the release, the grant amounts to roughly 59 per cent of the total $16.9 million price tag for the project, which will be funded through the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. The town has also applied for a $3 million grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs to reduce its share.