NCDOT Continues to Tackle Hurricane Road Repairs Statewide
As towns and cities in southeastern North Carolina work to get back on their feet after Hurricane Florence, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is pushing to make repairs to roadways as quickly as possible.
At the height of the storm, there were more than 1,600 sections of closed roads and bridges across the state. Thanks to dedicated NCDOT crews and contractors, there are now less than 135. Of those, 12 primary routes will require longer repairs, and the rest are secondary roads.
Locally, crews are still working to address the northern stretch of N.C. Highway 12 on Ocracoke Island. Though both the road and the Hatteras / Ocracoke ferry reopened to the public last Friday, NCDOT crews and contractor Barnhill Contracting of Rocky Mount are reconstructing the protective dune along the affected stretch of roadway – a project that is slated to be completed by the end of November.
Across Eastern North Carolina, U.S. 421 in New Hanover County will require the most work, after it was washed out in both directions by the hurricane. The initial plan is to open it in a two-lane, two-way temporary traffic pattern while more extensive repairs are underway.
“Understanding the urgent need for drivers to be able to get where they need to go, the department is working diligently to have all road closures back open by the end of the year, with the exception of a few locations where bridges have to be built,” said the NCDOT in a statement.
Motorists can check to see if specific routes have reopened throughout the state by visiting DriveNC.gov.
