N.C. Highway 12 reopens on Ocracoke Island, Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry service resumes
N.C. Highway 12 has reopened on Ocracoke Island as of 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, and Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry service has resumed, according to an update from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and the North Carolina Ferry System.
The highway has been periodically closed between the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry terminal and the National Park Service pony pens since Friday morning, after repeated rounds of ocean overwash that coincided with multiple high tide cycles.
Sand and saltwater remain on the highway in multiple locations, and travelers are advised to slow down, use caution, and watch for NCDOT personnel as they continue to clear the road.
Ocracoke-Cedar Island and Ocracoke-Swan Quarter ferry operations resumed on Saturday.
N.C. Highway 12 was also temporarily closed on Hatteras Island on Friday morning between Rodanthe and Oregon Inlet due to overwash on Pea Island, but reopened hours later on Friday afternoon. Standing water and sand were reported in multiple locales throughout Hatteras Island as of Sunday as well, however, the roadway remains open and passable.
An oceanfront home located at 23241 Surf Side Drive also collapsed in northern Rodanthe on November 15, and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore continues to monitor unoccupied threatened structures at G A Kohler Court and Sea Oats Drive. The beach in front of Rodanthe is temporarily closed due to hazardous debris.
A list of local Outer Banks resources for additional information is as follows:
- For information on the local forecast, visit weather.gov/mhx for general weather information, or the National Weather Service office in Newport/Morehead City’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NWSMoreheadCity/.
- For updates regarding road conditions, visit DriveNC.gov and follow the North Carolina Department of Transportation and NCDOT NC 12 on Facebook. The Dare County Sheriff’s Office also shares local road condition updates on its Facebook page.
- To get notified of ferry delays or cancellations, sign up for text and/or email alerts via the N.C. Ferry System’s FINS system: www.ncdot.gov/fins.
