Ocracoke Light Station renovations continue; equipment delivers this week will require temporary closures of Lighthouse Road
Three separate deliveries of construction equipment associated with the lifting of the Ocracoke Double Keepers’ Quarters are scheduled to occur this coming week.
During the deliveries, Lighthouse Road—between approximately Loop Road and Martha Jane Lane—will be closed for up to 30 minutes.
Loop Road will remain accessible for those looking for an alternate route during the closures.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore has notified owners of homes adjacent to the temporary road closures.
Built in 1823, the Ocracoke Light Station Double Keepers’ Quarters has been closed off to visitors since the last keeper left in 1950s.
A $3.6 million project began earlier this year to raise the Double Keepers’ Quarters an estimated five feet to protect against future storm surge, mold and lead-based paint and asbestos remediation, repair interior and exterior storm damage, construction of a concrete pathway and an ADA lift for visitors, and raising other light station buildings.
The first floor of the Double Keepers’ Quarters will also be transformed into a Visitors Center.
- Installation of construction fencing and other site preparation
- Trimming of vegetation and wrapping of nearby trees
- Removal of paint from masonry, including remediation of lead paint
- Partial repairs to store house
- Repair of all siding to Generator House
- Preparation for excavation, lifting and installation of new foundation piers
- Development of a lifting plan for the Double Keepers’ Quarters
“The lifting plan for the Double Keepers’ Quarters required additional time due to the tight conditions around the building, the presence of two large masonry cisterns, and extensive above ground branching and underground root network from the large live oak trees,” Barber said. “The plan helps ensure minimal impacts to the historic structure and landscape.”
Barber said the project is expected to be completed before the summer of 2025.
