Work has resumed on efforts to protect N.C. Highway 12 on Ocracoke Island, after repeated overwash from Hurricane Erin temporarily closed the highway and paused a summertime project to rebuild the dunes on this vulnerable stretch of road.
Crews with contractor Sawyer & Sons have been transporting sand from a nearby dredge spoil site to multiple points along N.C. Highway 12, where it will be used to bolster the dune line through the winter months.
“Sawyer & Sons has resumed the work to remove sand from the dredge spoil site and stockpile it adjacent to N.C. 12 for use in touching up the dune over the winter,” said N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) spokesperson Tim Hass in a Thursday update. “That work should wrap up near the end of this week.”
Hurricane Erin highlighted the ongoing vulnerability of Ocracoke’s only highway connection to Hatteras Island, as multiple rounds of ocean overwash covered the roadway, forcing closures during the height of the storm.
The stretch of N.C. Highway 12 which runs parallel to the oceanfront on the north end of the island has historically been one of the most storm-prone sections of the Outer Banks.
In addition to the dune restoration, the NCDOT is preparing new protective measures to safeguard the roadway. “Moving forward, NCDOT recently opened bids for an on-call contract to provide sandbag services as needed. Once fully executed, we plan to mobilize this contractor to the island to install additional measures to protect vulnerable sections of the highway,” Hass said.
The dune project began earlier this summer as a short-term response to shoreline erosion and was briefly paused after the August storm. NCDOT officials have emphasized that the work is part of an ongoing effort to maintain safe passage along N.C. 12 while exploring longer-term resiliency options for Ocracoke’s only highway corridor.
A public meeting scheduled for September 10 at the Ocracoke Community Center will take a broader look at the future of N.C. Highway 12, focusing on long-term strategies to address the ongoing threats to the roadway’s stability.
The meeting will focus on a recent study that evaluated the effects of several adaptation strategies, and will provide residents and stakeholders with an opportunity to learn more about potential resiliency projects and to share input on how best to protect the vulnerable northern end of Ocracoke Island.
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