Rodanthe Soundside Boat Launch to Close for Construction of New Boat Ramp and Dock

Dare County has announced the upcoming closure of the soundside boat launch area at the end of Myrna Peters Road in Rodanthe. The launch area—which provides boaters with access to the Pamlico Sound at a spot situated directly north of the emergency ferry dock—is being closed to accommodate construction crews who will build a new public boat ramp and dock in its current location.

The launch area is expected to be closed to the public beginning at the end of March. Construction of the new boat ramp will begin on April 5, 2021, and is expected to be completed in approximately 90 days. The area will remain closed for an additional 60 days to allow time for work on the roadway and parking lot to be completed. There will be no public access to the boat launch area during this time.

Plans for the proposed boat ramp and dock have been in progress since March 2017, when Dare County hosted a public open house at the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Building to present and gain feedback on two potential boat ramp layouts.

The chosen ramp design features a two-lane boat dock with a 60-foot-long center floating dock and courtesy platform. The ramp will extend 17 feet into the water of the T-shaped harbor that then connects with a federal navigation channel called Blackmar Gut before leading into the Pamlico Sound.

During the construction process, new asphalt will be poured in order to pave the way for 14-16 parking spaces for vehicles with trailers. A 30-foot-long vegetated buffer will also be constructed along the southern edge of the boat ramp.

Construction of Phase 1 of the project—which includes the boat ramps, dock and bulkhead—will be performed by an in-house North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) crew. Phase 2 will be a contract project that consists of all upland parking lot work and other associated site work. There are no wetlands impacts proposed by the project.

The land where the Rodanthe Boating Access Area will be constructed is owned by Dare County, which has partnered with the NCWRC for the project. For more information, visit www.DareNC.com/Projects or contact project manager Brent Johnson at Brent.Johnson@DareNC.com or 252-475-5628.