NC 12 is Open; Ocracoke-Hatteras Ferry Still on Amended Schedule

There are crews out in several locations removing sand and water. Travelers will encounter flaggers in these areas. Please drive cautiously out there!

Wednesday: NCDOT is planning to open the road tonight with no checkpoints and no pilot cars. There may be some sand and water on the pavement. Please use caution.

Travelers will be led through the single-lane areas in by a pilot car, so expect delays.

The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division is running an amended two-boat schedule on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route for the rest of the month. 

Shoaling on the Ocracoke side is making it difficult for the smaller vessels to maneuver in and out of the dock. Dredging operations are scheduled to be complete by March 31, at which time the division is anticipated to resume normal operations of this run. 

The following departure schedule is currently in place:

From Hatteras:              From Ocracoke:

5 a.m.                                     4:30 a.m.

6 a.m.                                    6:30 a.m.

8 a.m.                                    7:30 a.m.

9 a.m.                                    9:30 a.m.

11 a.m.                                    10:30 a.m.

Noon                                    12:30 p.m.

2 p.m.                                    1:30 p.m.

3 p.m.                                    3:30 p.m.

5 p.m.                                    4:30 p.m.

6 p.m.                                    6:30 p.m.

8 p.m.                                    7:30 p.m.

9 p.m.                                    9:30 p.m.

11 p.m.                        10:30 p.m.

12 a.m.                                    12:30 a.m.

The division will continue to monitor traffic demands and additional runs may be added as necessary.

For schedule information, please call the Hatteras terminal at (252) 986-2353 or Ocracoke  terminal at (252) 928-1665.

Travelers can also call 800-293-3779 (BY-FERRY) and Press 1 for up-to-date ferry information, or sign up to receive Tweets on their personal cell phones by going to www.twitter.com/ncdot_ferry.

The latest from NCDOT:N.C. 12 has reopened from the Oregon Inlet Bridge to Rodanthe after being closed since Saturday evening due to overwash. However, due to high tide this evening sending water and sand back onto the road, crews will close N.C. 12 in this section at 7:30 p.m. 

The road will remain closed through high tide Tuesday morning. Crews will then assess the situation and open the road as soon as possible.

Only one direction of traffic can travel along this stretch of N.C. 12 at one time. Motorists will be escorted by a pilot vehicle and law enforcement officials have set up checkpoints. This will cause a waiting period at each end of the closure since it takes approximately 25 minutes to travel one way. 

Up-to-date information is available by calling 511 or online at www.ncdot.gov/travel. In addition, NCDOT offers travel information on Twitter.

Sunday: This morning's report from OBX engineers who are working hard to get the road open: 

NC 12 (Dare): a section of the beach road in Kitty Hawk is shut down due to ocean overwash. On Pea Island it's more of the same....water is still coming over pavement on the north side and the south side of the temp bridge. At Mirlo the camera is down so we can't pull up pictures at this time but the road is covered in a lot of sand and water. All the sand bags are uncovered. Waves are currently overtopping sandbags just as bad or worse than yesterday afternoon. In Buxton water is still coming over by hotel. In Hatteras we are still having a few over wash areas. 

We will make all efforts to restore traffic today but Mother Nature has total control of this situation now.

NC 12 (Ocracoke): water and sand on pavement in various locations but passable. Drivers should use cation.

Highway 12 is currently open. Due to water in some areas of the road, motorists are advised to take caution. 

N.C. Department of Transportation crews expect the possibility of overwash again tonight at 6 p.m., as well as for the next day or two at high tide. 

For up-to-date information on N.C. 12 conditions, call 511 or visit www.ncdot.gov/travel. In addition, NCDOT offers travel information on Twitter.

Travelers can also call 800-293-3779 (BY-FERRY) and Press 1 for up-to-date ferry information, or sign up to receive Tweets on their personal cell phones by going to .

Earlier reports:

At 9 a.m. this morning, NCDOT reported that N.C. 12 wasclosed on Hatteras Island. It's experiencing overwash at the temporary bridge and the S-Curves, in Rodanthe, in Buxton at the hotel and in Hatteras. Kitty Hawk is also still seeing overwash. The overwash in Hatteras is minor and should be cleared quickly. We will update you throughout the day on the status of the road."

The Dare County Sheriff's Office reports that the road will be open and closed for the next few days.

NC 12 has experienced overwash at Mirlo Beach from the past week's high winds. NCDOT is removing sand and water from the road. The Sheriff's Office asks travelers to "Please be patient as crews work hard to keep the road safe to drive."

The best advice is to travel near low tide. Here's a handy tide chart.

From NCDOT on Friday:

As of 7:49 a.m., NC 12 IS CLOSED at Mirlo Beach in Dare County due to over wash. The road will be reopened when travel conditions are deemed safe.