New sandbag replacement project planned for northern Ocracoke Island

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is acquiring permits for a new sandbag replacement project along a vulnerable stretch of Ocracoke, with the goal of completing the work in the next several months, according to spokesperson Tim Hass.

“We are currently pursuing permits to replace existing sandbags within the hotspot location,” Hass said. “We are hoping to complete the work early next year.”

The planned work targets a section of N.C. Highway 12 north of the National Park Service’s pony pens, where repeated overwash and persistent erosion continue to threaten the roadway. Even during relatively calm periods with normal high tide cycles, minor overwash has been reported on an almost weekly and sometimes daily basis.

NCDOT has not yet released detailed timelines or staging plans, but the project is expected to involve removing deteriorated sandbags and installing new bags to reinforce the highway-bordering barrier. As with past efforts in this area, work will be coordinated with the National Park Service and other permitting agencies, and scheduled alongside ongoing dredging and stabilization efforts at the nearby South Dock ferry terminal.

Background

The upcoming sandbag replacement is the latest effort in a long sequence of erosion-related interventions on northern Ocracoke Island. This particular stretch of highway has been under near-constant maintenance pressure, with NCDOT returning repeatedly since at least 2020 to rebuild dunes, install or replace sandbags, and repair pavement damaged by ocean overwash.

Past work has included a series of sandbag and dune reconstruction projects aimed at reinforcing the oceanfront berm that protects the highway. For example, a major sandbag replacement effort was completed in 2024, removing compromised bags, installing new ones, and reconstructing protective dune elevations along the highway’s eastern edge.

Recent regulatory changes have also shaped how NCDOT can manage shoreline protection along N.C. Highway 12. In November, the Coastal Resources Commission approved a rule modification allowing the department to use more durable, alternative sandbag designs for safeguarding the highway. The change was prompted by the need to expedite projects in high-energy environments such as Ocracoke, where traditional materials can fail prematurely.

Compounding these issues is the ongoing vulnerability of the South Dock ferry terminal, located just north of the hotspot zone. Studies shared during a 2025 Ocracoke community meeting described a difficult outlook for the area, citing inlet shoaling, shoreline retreat, and rising water levels that continue to compromise ferry access. Winter dredging projects have been deployed to maintain navigability through the inlet, but when it comes to the highway, officials have noted that sandbag placement provides only temporary relief.

Hyde County officials are pushing state and ferry-system leaders to support more enduring fixes. As detailed by the Ocracoke Observer, the Hyde County Board of Commissioners sent a letter to Governor Josh Stein and the N.C. Board of Transportation, describing the situation as “an emergency threatening the very viability of our community,” and urging immediate repair of sandbags and a beach nourishment study. The county is also advocating for stabilization — and potentially redesign — of the vulnerable South Dock ferry terminal, a step recently added to a slate of erosion-control options under consideration.

While these larger ideas are being explored, no specific major project has yet been selected, and no construction timeline has been announced. Until such long-term solutions are funded, Ocracoke’s access remains dependent on incremental protective measures such as sandbag replacement, dune rebuilds, and continued inlet dredging.