N.C. Highway 12 reopens, restricted access to Hatteras Island expands Wednesday, visitors allowed Thursday
North Carolina Department of Transportation equipment is seen on Pea Island the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, after the one-lane temporary gravel road opened to traffic exiting Hatteras Island. (Screenshot of DriveNC.gov camera view)
By Corinne Saunders
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RODANTHE — Dare County announced Tuesday that entry to Hatteras Island would expand at 7 a.m. on Wednesday to include Priority Three individuals (non-resident property owners and non-resident employees of non-critical businesses), and then on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 7 a.m., all entry restrictions would be terminated, meaning visitors will be able to gain access to the island for the first time in a week.
The only road connecting Hatteras Island to the rest of Dare County closed early last Thursday morning.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) announced Tuesday that N.C. Highway 12 on Pea Island would reopen to northbound traffic only on Tuesday at 3 p.m., a day ahead of schedule.
Repeated ocean overwash driven by a strong multiday nor’easter damaged an approximately 1,000-foot section of roadway pavement between the Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe, near the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, according to a Monday NCDOT release.
NCDOT’s Ferry Division launched emergency ferry routes beginning Sunday morning between Rodanthe and Stumpy Point in Dare County, with an increased number of routes run starting Monday, and even more routes beginning Tuesday.
Dare County declared a state of emergency for all of Hatteras Island, given the lack of roadway access, on Saturday.
The county updated the state of emergency on Tuesday to reflect that when the temporary roadway opens on Wednesday morning, Hatteras Island entry will be limited to Priority One, Priority Two and Priority Three individuals and Ocracoke Island residents with proper identification.
“Visitors are not permitted to enter Hatteras Island at this time,” according to a Tuesday Dare County press release. “Dare County Sheriff’s Office deputies will be stationed at a checkpoint at the north end of the Marc Basnight Bridge to verify credentials for those traveling south onto Hatteras Island.”
Essential personnel (Priority One) and permanent Hatteras Island residents and essential personnel for critical businesses (Priority Two), along with Ocracoke residents with valid identification, have been authorized to enter the island via emergency ferry since the Saturday declaration of emergency.
NCDOT crews began working on the roadway on Sunday, starting to build back the protective sand dune after tidal conditions subsided. Crews also began removing damaged asphalt and grading, and laying down a mixture of aggregate and gravel to construct the one-lane road, according to NCDOT’s Tuesday release.
“A one-lane, gravel stretch of N.C. 12 will be reopened for northbound traffic first,” according to the release. “As the northbound traffic congestion subsides, southbound traffic will be allowed along the road, with the alternating directions of one-way traffic controlled by an automatic flagger system. The current restrictions will remain in place even when southbound traffic reopens.”
A timeline to reconstruct the stretch of N.C. Highway 12 in its two-lane, paved configuration, while planned, is not yet available, according to the release.
Emergency ferry routes
NCDOT on Monday announced an expanded schedule for the emergency ferry route for Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 29-30:
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., 9:30 p.m., 11 p.m., 2 a.m. and 3:30 a.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., 6:30 p.m., 8 p.m., 11 p.m., 12:30 a.m., and 2 a.m.
The 12 routes in each direction are an expansion from the 10 routes in each direction on Monday, and the six routes to Stumpy Point and five to Rodanthe on Sunday.
The demand to leave the island swiftly exceeded route capacity on Sunday, and has remained high since.
The North Carolina Ferry System in its Monday press release on social media requested that people who do not need to leave Hatteras Island immediately depart when NCDOT opened the roadway “to alleviate wait times on ferry routes.”
“We know the ferry system simply did not have the capacity to get everyone off the island as quickly as we would have liked,” Robert “Bob” Woodard, chair of the Dare County Board of Commissioners, said in a public video message Tuesday afternoon.
“That is why the opening of the temporary roadway to the northbound traffic this afternoon is such an important step,” Woodard said. “It provides a faster and more efficient way for people to leave Hatteras Island and helps relieve the significant delays we have experienced over the past several days. I want to personally thank NCDOT highway and Ferry Division employees who have worked around the clock to make this possible.”
The Stumpy Point ferry terminal is at 100 Log Storage Road in Stumpy Point. The Rodanthe ferry terminal is at 23170 Myrna Peters Road in Rodanthe.
The emergency ferry route operation will remain on its 24-hour-a-day schedule until Hatteras Island traffic congestion subsides and officials determine the route is no longer required, according to a Monday NCDOT press release.
Emergency ferry route service ends Wednesday afternoon, with the final departure from Stumpy Point at 2 p.m. and the final departure from Rodanthe at 3:30 p.m, according to a Wednesday NCDOT press release sent around noon.
“After the emergency route closes, ferries will be repositioned to their regular routes, and full service on the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry route will resume Thursday morning,” according to the release.
As of Wednesday morning, the emergency ferry route had moved 1,702 people and 1,030 vehicles off and on Hatteras Island, according to the release.
Hatteras students back in school buildings
Dare County Schools on Tuesday announced that Hatteras students attending Dare Early College would return to in-person classes on Wednesday, since the reopening of the temporary gravel road on Pea Island would allow the bus to travel to the Manteo campus.
Students at Cape Hatteras Elementary and Secondary schools returned to campus on Tuesday.
Dare County Schools held a remote learning day for all students on Thursday and remote learning days for Hatteras Island students on Friday and Monday.
Beach debris warnings across Dare and Currituck counties
Currituck County in a Monday press release shared post-storm safety advice and permitting information for repairs.
“The storm left sand dunes eroded, beach walkovers damaged, and debris, such as compromised sand fencing, scattered along the shoreline,” the Currituck release said. “Currituck County is working closely with a contractor to clear the shoreline as quickly as possible.”
The release advised beachgoers to use caution.
Information the towns of Southern Shores and Kitty Hawk issued on social media shared similar cautionary advice to beachgoers about the post-nor’easter beach debris.
“Much of the larger debris is lumber and other building materials that may contain exposed nails or other sharp objects,” the Southern Shores post said. “Do not handle anything that appears unsafe or is too heavy to move.”
Seeking solutions
Woodard in his video message said he met with North Carolina Secretary of Transportation Daniel Johnson and David Webb of Governor Josh Stein’s office on Tuesday.
“We appreciate them coming here to see the situation firsthand and to hear directly from Dare County about the challenges we are facing,” Woodard said. “While our immediate focus has been on restoring access, our attention must now turn to the bigger issue moving forward with real long-term solutions for N.C. Highway 12 and reliable access to Hatteras Island.”
Woodard noted the county’s ongoing efforts to secure funding from state and federal sources for roadway solutions, including its hiring of the Greer Beaty Consulting firm to “give us a road map as we continue advocating at the state and federal levels.”
He noted the work of the N.C. 12 Task Force, which Dare County established in 2021. The task force issued a 2023 report identifying vulnerable places, also called hot spots, along the road and possible short-term and long-term solutions. The Pea Island area ranked as the most critical and a top priority in the report, with proposed solutions listed as a series of short bridges or a 7-mile-long bridge.
NCDOT facilitated public meetings this spring as part of the Solving Access for N.C. 12 in Dare County (SAND) Plan specific to the Pea Island stretch of N.C. Highway 12. The meetings were designed to determine what solution or solutions may be feasible and publicly desirable, and additional meetings are expected as the SAND Plan continues to take shape.
Find current Outer Banks storm-related travel and weather information
The Dare County information line opened Sunday at noon, according to a Sunday morning press release about Hatteras Island access. For questions about access and entry procedures, call the Dare County information line at 252-475-5655. Spanish translators are available (se habla español).
The dedicated Dare County webpage for storm-related information is www.darenc.gov/departments/emergency-management/hurricane.
Find current information about Cape Hatteras National Seashore conditions at www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/conditions.htm.
To subscribe to the NCDOT Ferry Division Ferry Information Notification System (FINS) alerts, visit this NCDOT webpage.
For the most current local weather information for Dare County and Hyde County, visit the U.S. National Weather Service at Newport/Morehead City’s website.
The U.S. National Weather Service at Wakefield, Virginia, covers Currituck County, including Corolla and north. For more information about that area, visit its website.
To sign up for Dare County-specific severe weather updates and for any other official messaging of interest, visit the OBX Alerts website.
To sign up for Currituck County-specific updates through Currituck Alert, text CTUCKALERT to 888-777. For alerts specific to Corolla and the 4WD beaches, text SAFECOROLLA to 888-777.
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This article was updated at 12:25 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, to include information from a Wednesday NCDOT press release.
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