DOT to begin repair work on Highway 12 in Kitty Hawk

The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a contract for the repair of a section of Highway 12/Beach Road in Kitty Hawk damaged during a storm earlier in October.
 
A $412,933 contract was awarded to Waff Contracting Inc. of Edenton for the reconstruction of Highway 12/Beach Road between Kitty Hawk Road and Lillian Street, as well as the reconstruction of the dune along this stretch of road.

Work is expected to begin this week and will be complete by mid-December, weather permitting.

NCDOT closed N.C. 12/Beach Road between Lillian Street and White Avenue on Sunday, Oct. 4, because of deep water on the road as a result of impacts from Hurricane Joaquin and the neighboring storm system. High tidal waves washed out a 700-foot-long dune, made completely out of sand near Milepost Four at this location.

Highway 12/Beach Road was then damaged on Monday, Oct. 5, due to waves crashing on the pavement. NCDOT reopened the road between White Avenue and Kitty Hawk Road earlier this month However, the closure has remained in place at the damaged location between Kitty Hawk Road and Lillian Street.

As part of the repairs, crews will reconstruct the dune using sandbags, which will be installed eight feet below the edge of pavement to protect the road, and then cover the bags with sand. Crews are expected to lay 375 sandbags, each measuring 10 feet long, as part of this project. They will also repave the damaged section of roadway and install new sand fencing. The newly constructed dune system will be planted with sea grass in spring 2016.

This new dune will connect to the existing sandbag dune constructed earlier this summer just south of this location. On the opposite end, it will connect to a dune 200 feet to the north that was constructed using sandbags in 2003 and extended in 2004, following Hurricane Isabel. This will allow for a continuous line of sandbags protecting Highway 12 in this area.

During the project, traffic will continue to use U.S. 158/Croatan Highway as a detour route.

For real-time travel information, call 511, visit the Traveler Services section of NCDOT.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.