Cape Hatteras Lighthouse restoration contractor plans to activate temporary beacon on Thursday, April 25

The contractor for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse restoration project, Stone and Lime Historic Restoration Services, plans to switch the lighthouse’s source of light from the current beacon to a temporary, fixed beacon on the evening of Thursday, April 25.

“This [new] tiny beacon can project 18 miles out into the ocean, it’s U.S. Coast Guard approved, and it goes on about every seven and a half seconds – just a quick flash on, and a quick flash off,” said Kelly Clark, Project Manager for Stone and Lime, in an earlier interview. “So, this is what we’ll be using for the next 18 months until the brand new Fresnel lens replica is complete.”

Early next week, the U.S. Coast Guard plans to dissemble and remove the current beacon, which has provided light atop the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse for the past 52 years.

Near the end of the restoration project, a replica of a rotating first-order Fresnel lens, with a LED light source, will be installed and activated inside the lighthouse’s lantern room.

For more information on the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Restoration project, click here.