For Ocracoke news, click here.
Ocracoke-to-Hatteras ferry riders will have to build in extra time to catch the ferry through November as NCDOT crews on Monday begin to repair the dunes along the north end of N.C. 12.
The repair work will force a temporary traffic management plan while dump trucks haul sand from the dredge spoil site near the north-end ferry dock to the 1.25-mile stretch of dunes damaged by Hurricane Florence.
Starting Monday (Oct. 15), all departing (northbound) ferry traffic will be staged at the National Park Service parking area at the South Bitterswash Creek parking area just north of the beach access Ramp 63.
A pilot car will then escort arriving (southbound) vehicles through the work zone to Bitterswash Creek, then allow the traffic to continue south on N.C. 12. The pilot car will then lead any departing ferry traffic from the parking area though the work zone to the ferry.
Departing ferry traffic will need to arrive at South Bitterswash Creek 20 minutes prior to the ferry departure.
This temporary traffic management plan will be in place while the contractor is working, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and some Saturdays if needed. When the work zone is not active, these traffic restrictions will be removed.
Portable toilets, provided by NCDOT, will be placed at the parking lot for ferry passengers during their wait.
Commercial fisherman will be allowed to access Quork Hammock Road, but they will need to correspond with traffic control personnel on site. Prong Road, next to the dredge spoil site, will be closed to all traffic. Ramp 59 will remain open to NPS off-road vehicle permit holders, but signs will be put in place to indicate that a pilot vehicle is still needed to travel on the section of N.C. 12 near the ramp.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of November.
For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.
