OCRACOKE, N.C. – The North Carolina Department of Transportation awarded a $1.77 million emergency contract to reopen and repair N.C. Highway 12 on Ocracoke.
The highway was severely damaged during Hurricane Dorian, with extreme flooding causing damage to bridges and roadways. NCDOT closed the road north of Ocracoke Village to the ferry dock while the road’s condition was appraised.
The contract, which was awarded to RPC Contracting of Kitty Hawk, will go towards sandbag installation, reconstruction of the dune line protecting the roadway and rebuilding about 1,000 feet of roadway. The N.C. Ferry Division’s Dredge Manteo will pump sand from the old Hatteras ferry channel to supply sand for the reconstruction.
Contractors will begin moving equipment to the site this week.
“Highway 12 is a critical lifeline for Ocracoke and the Outer Banks,” said NCDOT Division 1 Engineer Jerry Jennings. “It’s a priority for us to get the road reopened and help the people of Ocracoke Island recover from this devastating hurricane.”
NCDOT said weather conditions could change the timeline for the road’s reopening, but the contract will aim to reopen the road by November 22. The final contract completion will be April 30, to include completing dune reconstruction, planting dunes with seagrass and placing final pavement surface and markings.
