From our news services
Ocracoke-Hatteras ferries will use a longer route starting Tuesday, Dec. 7, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) conducts emergency dredging in the Barney Slough section of the current route.
While the ACE is dredging the slough, ferries using the deeper and safer Rollinson Channel, which is 1.5 miles longer, will add roughly 20 minutes to each one-way trip.
Because of the longer crossing times, the number of ferry departures will be reduced. The schedule, beginning Dec. 7, will be as follows:
From Hatteras: 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m. and midnight.
From Ocracoke: 4 a.m., 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Shoaling in this slough no longer allows the Ferry Division’s vessels to safely navigate the current channel, which has become dangerously shallow, leading to several instances in which ferries bumped the bottom of the channel and needed costly repairs to fix damage to the vessels, according to a press release.
“This is not something we take lightly,’ said Interim Ferry Division Director Jed Dixon. “But the safety of our passengers and crews is our top priority, and conditions in Barney Slough have deteriorated such that it is no longer possible to continue operating there.”
The ACE said it will dredge for seven days, weather permitting.
When the ACE leaves the channel, the Ferry Division will revisit conditions in Barney Slough to determine whether it can safely resume operations there.
Travelers seeking alternate routes to and from Ocracoke Island can use the Cedar Island or Swan Quarter routes, which both operate three round trips daily and accept reservations.
