Public works crews in Chatham-Kent are shoring up sections of Erie Shore Drive in anticipation of future flooding.

A State of Emergency was declared Aug. 27 and remained in place for 15 days until Sept. 10.

The municipality says it has taken a number of actions -- including structural repair, the addition of rock chutes and concrete blocks, drainage clean out, road crack sealing, along with milling and paving the roadway to assist with drainage.

Starting the week of Sept. 23, staff will be on site installing additional concrete blocks along the centerline of Erie Shore Drive from 1.2 kilometres east of Bisnett Line to McGeachy Pond Conservation Area.

This work is expected to take about six weeks to complete.

Officials say concrete blocks will be placed along the center of the road, so Erie Shore Drive will become a one-way road with eastbound traffic only.

The area has also been visited by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Provincial Disaster Assessment Team have attended the site to assess the damage.

Municipal officials say they are now awaiting word from the province to make recommendations.

In addition, the municipality has recently provided a detailed update to the Province’s Special Advisor on Flooding.

The “Lake Erie Shoreline Study” has been underway over the past year and is intended to develop a long-term plan for properties and infrastructure located along Lake Erie.

To date, seven public meetings have been held.

Another series of public meetings will be scheduled in late October.

A report will be presented in March 2020.