Bids received for beach nourishment work on Highway 12 near Rodanthe

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers On Friday, June 20, opened bids from contractors for an N.C. Department of Transportation project to nourish the beach north of Rodanthe on Hatteras Island and provide protection for a vulnerable stretch of Highway 12.

Multiple bids were received. The Army Corps will now review each bid to ensure it meets all requirements, and it expects to award a contract by mid-July. More information on the bids can be found online.

The project is designed to provide several years of protection before a long-term project is completed for the stretch of Highway 12 locally known as the “S-curves” where storms, including hurricanes Irene and Sandy, resulted in severe beach erosion along the road in Dare County.

Plans include dredging sand from an identified sandbar in the Atlantic Ocean to restore the beach protecting Highway 12 in the location shown on this map.

The Federal Highway Administration approved Hurricane Sandy emergency relief funds to pay for this project.

While this work is taking place, NCDOT is considering two bridge alternatives as long-term solutions for maintaining access along Highway 12 to the communities of Hatteras Island. They include a 2.3-mile bridge within the existing easement of the highway and a 2.6-mile bridge that extends into the Pamlico Sound.

NCDOT held public meetings in January in Ocracoke, Rodanthe, Buxton and Manteo to present the two alternatives and gather feedback. The project is in the planning phase, and a preferred alternative is expected to be selected this summer, with a contract awarded in the fall or early winter of 2014.

This is the second time the beach nourishment project has been advertised. The project was previously advertised in December 2013. Bids were opened in January. However, only one bid was received due to the large amount of dredging work underway at the time in the northeast, and it was not responsive to the advertisement. Therefore, a contract could not be awarded.

In addition to this project, NCDOT is also conducting feasibility studies for projects to protect Highway 12 south of Rodanthe at identified “hot spots” on southern Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island in Hyde County. The feasibility studies are expected to be complete this fall. More information can be found on the N.C. 12 webpage.

For more information on NCDOT’s efforts to strengthen Highway 12 in the Outer Banks, visit the N.C. 12 webpage, “like” the N.C. 12 Facebook page and follow the N.C. 12 Twitter account.