RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) -
Improvements are coming to Virginia's Tangier Island after getting hit hard from Hurricane Sandy.
A jetty and a seawall will be built to protect the island's harbor from erosion. Governor Bob McDonnell made the announcement yesterday.
The 3-mile long island sits in the Chesapeake Bay and has been threatened by erosion and storm surges for years.
The cost of the project will be about $4.2 million. The federal government will pay about $3.2 million and the state will pay the rest.
Construction is expected to be completed in 2017.
Much of the island's economy is dependent upon the harbor serving as a hub for commercial fishermen.
The island has fewer than 500 residents and more than 125 are licensed commercial watermen.
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