Traffic delays possible Nov. 11-14 as CHEC replaces nearly 60 transmission poles

As work continues by Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative (CHEC) to replace nearly 60 transmission poles, drivers may experience brief traffic delays on N.C. Highway 12, especially as poles are delivered in the next week .

The project’s contractor, River City Construction, will require lane closures on N.C. Highway 12 in Frisco between the hours of 6:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Nov. 11-14.

“The closures could last up to 20 minutes as each new pole is delivered to the work sites. These are large concrete poles that require a crane to offload,” stated CHEC in an update. “Thank you for your patience and understanding as our hard-working crews are doing all they can to continue to provide you the best service possible while staying safe themselves.”

River City Construction, Inc. is working to replace 34 wood transmission poles on the Avon South circuit with concrete poles, and reconductor the Avon South circuit. They are also replacing 25 wood poles in Frisco and Hatteras with concrete poles.

Vegetation was recently cleared in these areas, and especially Avon, to make room for the work ahead.

Travelers along N.C. Highway 12 may also notice the recent addition of pink flags on the ground, close to the roadway. These flags mark the path of a new fiber expansion project that began in September 2024.

In this corresponding project, North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC), in partnership with CHEC and ElectriCom Inc., will work to expand their cooperative fiber network by installing a new fiber line from Nags Head to Buxton.

The first phase has begun, and includes fiber installation in the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, and Buxton. This phase of construction is expected to take approximately 18 weeks.

“NCEMC and CHEC began planning for this project after several communication outages affected Hatteras Island due to the volatile nature of the island’s current and only fiber line,” stated CHEC in a September press release. “This new fiber will greatly improve the reliability of NCEMC’s communications with its generation plant in Buxton, as well as CHEC’s communication abilities with its substations and the mainland.”