N.C. Highway 12 on northern Ocracoke Island reopens; Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry service resumes

N.C. Highway 12 on Ocracoke Island between the National Park Service pony pens and the South Dock ferry terminal has reopened as of 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 29.

The highway had been closed since March 23 due to severe ocean overwash and hazardous driving conditions.

There is still some standing water and sand on the roadway, so motorists are reminded to slow down and drive with extreme caution in the area. In addition, a project to replace lost and damaged sandbags continues, so there may be a short lane closure on the highway controlled by a flagger crew.

Ferry service between Hatteras and Ocracoke also resumed at 2:00 p.m. on the following amended schedule for today:

• From Hatteras: 2 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m., 11 p.m. and midnight.
• From Ocracoke: 3:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and midnight.

The Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry route will resume its regular spring schedule on Saturday.

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.