Adjusted Schedules for the Swann Quarter Ferry to help Vendors

From our folks at Mann's Harbor:

The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division is temporarily adjusting departure times at its Swan Quarter-Ocracoke route, beginning Thursday, Jan. 24, to assist vendors supplying essential commodities to Ocracoke with adequate turn-around time.

The adjusted departures will be:

·         Changing the 7 a.m. departure to 6:30 a.m. and the 12:30 p.m. departure to 1 p.m. from Ocracoke; and

·         Changing the 10 a.m. departure from Swan Quarter to 9:30 a.m.

The adjusted schedule will be:

·         Departing from Swan Quarter at 9:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 and 10; and

·         Departing from Ocracoke at 6:30 a.m., 10, 1 p.m. and 7.

Residents of Ocracoke and vendors will be given toll exempt status until the Hatteras ferry channel resumes operations. The division is monitoring traffic and will make additional changes if needed.

Operations at the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry route were suspended Jan. 18 until further notice, due to the ferry channel at markers #9 and #10 becoming completely shoaled over and impassable. The channel falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has hired a contractor to dredge the channel. Work is under way, but it could take several weeks of dredging before the channel is safe for ferry operations to resume.

For more information travelers can sign-up to receive messages on Twitter  or visit the N.C. 12 Facebookpage.

Quick Update - Sandbags and Ferries

Sandbag installation is now complete along the part of N.C. 12 just north of Mirlo Beach that was damaged during Hurricane Sandy and a pair of Nor'easters last year. The final 41 sandbags were put into place on Monday, Jan. 21, connecting the section of sandbags from the north end to the section at the south end. The total number of sandbags placed along this section of N.C. 12 is 2,048.

Crews resumed hauling sand in this morning to cover the sandbags and rebuild the dunes. Weather permitting, this should be complete Wednesday afternoon.

While the work is under way, the highway remains open to traffic.
 

FERRY INFORMATION

Operations at the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry route have been suspended until further notice. The shoaling situation at Hatteras Inlet has made the route impassable.

The Ferry Division added more departures to its Swan Quarter-Ocracoke route, beginning Saturday, Jan. 19, to assist Ocracoke residents and vendors. This schedule, with toll-exempt status for residents and vendors, will continue until the Hatteras ferry channel resumes operations. The schedule is as follows:

• Departing Swan Quarter at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 and 10; and
• Departing Ocracoke at 7 a.m., 10, 12:30 p.m. and 7.

The Ferry Division continues to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard to assess the situation daily. The USACE has issued a dredging contract to address the channel shoaling, and work is under way, but several weeks could pass before dredging alleviates the problem.

A Lifeline

The Outer Banks Voice did a nice profile of the emergency ferry service.  Thanks to the good folks there, for this and for all they do for their community!

Out of the mouths (and artistic eyes) of babes

Priceless.

We love you too, Jack!

One of several thank you letters

posted inside the temporary ferry terminal on the Rodanthe side of the emergency ferry route.  From Hatteras Elementary School

New Schedule for the Emergency Ferry

MANNS HARBOR — The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division is reducing the total number of runs each day at the Stumpy Point-Rodanthe emergency route from 9 to 8 from each side. The change is to reduce costs and is effective Wednesday, Nov. 28.

The eliminated runs are those with the least amount of traffic and include the 8 p.m. departure from Stumpy Point and the 11 p.m. departure from Rodanthe. Those who use the emergency route are reminded to be patient, as priority status is still in effect.

The Stumpy Point-Rodanthe schedule will be as follows:
•    Departing Stumpy Point at 6 a.m., 8, 10, noon, 2 p.m., 4, 6 and 10 p.m.
•    Departing Rodanthe at 7 a.m., 9, 11, 1 p.m., 3, 5, 7 and 9 p.m.

The N.C. Ferry Division will reinstate these runs should travel demand warrant.

Emergency ferry information is available by calling 800-293-3779 (BY-FERRY) and pressing 1, via Twitter,on Facebook  and on the NCDOT.gov NC 12 page.

Thanksgiving

Due to extreme weather conditions, N.C. Department of Transportation crews are unable to complete anticipated repairs to N.C. 12 in Dare County in order to have the road open for Thanksgiving travelers.

“Unfortunately NCDOT crews have been at the mercy of the weather and we are not where we want to be in terms of reopening N.C. 12,” said NCDOT Division Engineer Jerry Jennings. “With recent weather conditions and another forecasted Nor’easter on the way, we will be unable to fully reopen N.C. 12 by Thanksgiving, but are working with the Ferry Division to accommodate the demands of holiday travelers.”

High winds and overwash along N.C. 12 are causing intermittent closures to four-wheel drive access on Pea Island. These closures often occur with very little advanced notice due to rapidly changing weather and surf conditions. When a closure happens, NCDOT must wait for conditions to improve before reopening the route to ensure motorists safety.

Based on current conditions, the route may only be open during low tide. For updated tide information and conditions, visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration webpage. To find out the status of the route, call 511, visit our travel information webpage, or follow NCDOT on Twitter or Facebook.

When weather conditions are not causing closures, the four-wheel drive route is scheduled to be open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Because of hazardous driving conditions, Dare County first responders will escort drivers before dawn and after dusk when the road is accessible to traffic.

Drivers of four-wheel drive vehicles should expect a rough ride, which will include traveling over sand, damaged pavement and some water. On the sandy portions of the route, they will follow lane markers comprised of barrels, cones and/or flags.

NCDOT asks motorists to follow these important safety measures on the four-wheel drive access:
•Only drive four-wheel drive vehicles with a high ground clearance. Cross-over four-wheel drive vehicles that are lower to the ground may get stuck in the rugged terrain;
•If you drive at night, use extreme caution. There will be no lights staged along the route, so your vehicle’s headlights will offer the only way for you to see;
•Drive slowly; 
•Pay close attention to the temporary traffic signals; and
•All four-wheel drive vehicles are encouraged to lower tire pressure to minimize the chances of becoming stuck.

In addition to the four-wheel drive access, NCDOT’s Ferry Division has added extra departures from each side on its Swan Quarter-Ocracoke route beginning Saturday, Nov. 17 through Monday, Nov. 26, to accommodate holiday traffic demand.

The additional departures include: 

• Departing Swan Quarter at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.; and
• Departing Ocracoke at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

As a reminder, the regular fall schedule on the Pamlico Sound is:

•  Departing Cedar Island and Ocracoke at 7:30 a.m., 10, 1 p.m. and 4;
• Departing Swan Quarter at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; and
• Departing Ocracoke to Swan Quarter at 7 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Ferry reservations can be made online or by calling 800-293-3779 (BY-FERRY) and pressing 2. Ferry information is available via Twitter . To help travelers gauge the amount of traffic waiting to ride the ferry, visit the live webcams Dare County has stationed at Rodanthe and Stumpy Point. The cameras cannot show priority order, but they can offer a real-time look at number of vehicles in line.

More information on N.C. 12 recovery efforts is available on our N.C. 12 webpage and N.C. 12 Facebook page. For the latest details on the emergency ferry route, as well as schedules for our regular ferry routes, call 1-800-BY-FERRY and press 1, or visit the NCDOT Ferry page.

Time and Tide - Watch the Charts

The 4WD access section on N.C. 12 near the S-curves can be closed intermittently because of of overwash.  The overwash is largely the result of surf, surge and winds from the storms headed our way.  Low tide times is when the road is most likely to be affected and close.  Keeping up with the tide chart can help you plan your trip.

Kudos for the Ferries!

We are very proud of our Ferry Division and its staff for their efforts during and after Hurricane Irene, when Hatteras Island was cut off from the rest of the world because of damage to N.C. 12.

Last month, they were recognized for their dedication during the emergency by the U.S. Coast Guard.  The special commendation for Outstanding Humanitarian Response details the hurricane and the results of “widespread destruction” including the breaches on N.C. 12and how critical ferry service was during that crisis.


Congrats to all our ferry personnel!!