Oak Bluffs selectmen voted to permanently close East Chop Drive to vehicles; bicycles and pedestrians will still be allowed.

A plan to repair and stabilize the East Chop bluff won approval with conditions Thursday night from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission.

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.