OUTER BANKS, N.C. — A devastating but familiar sight for Hatteras Island residents as N.C. 12 is once again closed from the Marc Basnight Bridge to Rodanthe. The road near the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center was once again damaged by repeated ocean overwash from the coastal storm over the last few days.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation says there is around 800 feet of pavement damage, and 1,800 feet of protective dune is now gone as well.
"We've got to stop kicking this can down the road because the road is no longer there," said Mary Ellon Ballance, a Dare County commissioner who lives on and represents Hatteras Island.
This week's damage comes less than a month after this exact portion of N.C. 12 near the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center sustained 1,000 feet of damage and had to be entirely rebuilt.
"This is a huge hit to the people that have businesses down here and the residents down here, I cannot emphasize that enough. It's time for the state to act," said Ballance.
News 3 has had this conversation with Ballance and fellow Dare County leaders before. Ballance and other local leaders continue to believe state leaders need to help fund a solution to the issue.
"All the state is doing is right now is saying we don't care about Hatteras Island, we don't care about Dare County," said Ballance.
Ballance says that in the short term, she'd like to see the stretch of N.C. 12 moved to the west of the visitor center. In the long term, she'd like to see elevated roads and bridges.
"You cannot continue to rebuild that road, it needs to be moved. That is the quickest short-term solution, long-term solution is going to be bridges," said Ballance.
Ballance says moving the road needs to happen immediately.
"There is no time to waste. We're going to be in the same boat in three weeks," said Ballance.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein spoke about N.C. 12 with members of the media in Edenton on Tuesday, saying a long-term solution for the road is a priority for him.
"What we need to do is come together, the federal government and the state, come up with some long-term solutions because this is happening over and over and over," said Stein.
For Ballance, it's not the long term she's worried about. It's action happening now.
"We shouldn't have to live like this. Safety is a bipartisan issue," said Ballance.
Right now, N.C. 12 remains closed between the Marc Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe, and there is no timeline for when the road will reopen. With continued overwash and storm conditions, NCDOT crews won't be able to fully assess the damage until conditions calm down.
On Thursday evening, the emergency ferry between Stumpy Point and Rodanthe was activated for the second time in less than a month. The Thursday and Friday ferry schedule is below:
Thursday:
Rodanthe to Stumpy Point: 5 a.m., 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Stumpy Point to Rodanthe: 5 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Friday:
Rodanthe to Stumpy Point: 2 a.m., 5 a.m., 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Stumpy Point to Rodanthe: 2 a.m., 5 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.
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