The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will open N.C. Highway 12 near the Pea Island Visitor Center at 4 p.m. today (Oct. 29) with a temporary one-lane detour.
When the road reopens, Hatteras Island will be open to visitors with no entry restrictions in place.
All traffic will be permitted to access the island. Visitors are encouraged to contact their accommodations provider to confirm their reservations.
Traffic will alternate one direction at a time through the detour.
Motorists should expect delays and allow additional time for travel as NCDOT continues repairs.
The area near the Pea Island Visitor Center will remain an active construction zone as NCDOT works to fully pave two lanes to restore N.C. Highway 12 to full service.
Motorists should slow down and use extreme caution when traveling through the area and be prepared to stop and wait their turn to proceed through the one-lane detour. Follow all posted signs and instructions, maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, and give crews room to work.
Those traveling to and from Hatteras Island should expect delays and allow additional travel time.
Emergency ferry service between Stumpy Point and Rodanthe will continue through Friday morning, October 30, 2026. The final ferry will depart from each terminal at 8 a.m. For current road conditions and N.C. Highway 12 updates, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT NC 12 on Facebook.
More long-route ferries to Ocracoke
In response to the NC12 reopening, the Ferry Division will provide additional trips on its routes between Ocracoke and the mainland from Friday through Sunday.
Those ferries will operate on the following schedule:
Swan Quarter-Ocracoke: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m.
Ocracoke-Swan Quarter: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.
Cedar Island-Ocracoke: 7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 4:30 p.m.
Ocracoke-Cedar Island: 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 4:30 p.m.
The division will also move the vessels from the emergency route back to their normal base of operations on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route. That will also help improve access to Ocracoke on the festival weekend.
