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NC 12 Update for 12/15/11

NC 12 Update for 12/15/11

The N.C. Department of Transportation met today with representatives of state and federal agencies to discuss which design options NCDOT should continue to study as viable, long-term solutions for the N.C. 12 breaches on Pea Island and in Rodanthe. The group, called the Merger Team, reached a general consensus to narrow down the options at both breaches.

“There are laws and regulations associated with some of the options that we are not likely to be able to meet,” said NCDOT Chief Operating Officer Jim Trogdon. “By focusing our efforts on the most realistic options, we can more efficiently develop long-term fixes for N.C. 12 that will provide a reliable way for people to get to jobs and education.”

At the Pea Island breach, the general consensus reached by the Merger Team includes eliminating the beach nourishment option, as well as the options to build a new road or bridge west of where N.C. 12 is currently. The remaining option would allow NCDOT to build a bridge where the road now stands.

At the Rodanthe breach, the Merger Team generally agreed to eliminate the beach nourishment option. The remaining options include building a bridge within the easement and building a bridge that would extend into the Pamlico Sound.

NCDOT also agreed to work on another potential option suggested by representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. At this time, the idea, which involves bridging from north of the Pea Island breach through the Pamlico Sound to Rodanthe, is conceptual in nature, and NCDOT will meet with USFWS in the coming days to more concretely map it out.

The Merger Team must sign a form officially agreeing to narrow the existing options and allow for the inclusion of any new options before the process can go forward. The group expects that to happen within the coming weeks.

We've started  the first of three public workshops on long-term solutions to NC12!
Here are the details:

NCDOT will begin on Dec. 5 the first of three public workshops dedicated to developing long-term solutions for the breaches caused by Hurricane Irene on the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and in Rodanthe in August. This process is considered Phase II of the Bonner Bridge Replacement Project.

At the meetings, NCDOT will present to citizens the four design options currently under consideration to fix each breach. An explanation and map of each option are listed below.

Pea Island Breach Design Options

• Beach nourishment - A beach nourishment option would leave N.C. 12 in its current location. You can see the area proposed for beach nourishment, as well as some additional dunes, on this map.
• Road on new location – This option would move the road to the west of where NCDOT thinks the shoreline will be by 2060. See it on this map.
• Bridge on new location – This option would move N.C. 12 onto a bridge to the west of its current location. This area is west of where NCDOT thinks the shoreline will be by 2060. Click to see the map.
• Bridge within easement – This option would elevate N.C. 12 onto a bridge within the existing easement, next to the temporary bridge. To see it on the map, click here.

Rodanthe Breach Design Options

• Beach nourishment - The beach nourishment option would leave N.C. 12 where it is now. It also includes the construction and maintenance of high dunes north of Mirlo Beach. Click to see it on the map.
• Bridge within easement with beach nourishment – This option would elevate N.C. 12 onto a bridge within the existing easement. It would end just south of the refuge border and include a short section of beach nourishment to protect the roadway in Mirlo Beach and Rodanthe. See it on this map.
• Bridge within easement - This option would also elevate N.C. 12 onto a bridge within the existing easement. It would end just north of the community center and not require beach nourishment. Click to see it on the map.
• Bridge in Pamlico Sound - This option would construct an approximately 2.5-mile bridge that would extend into the Pamlico Sound and connect back to Rodanthe just north of the Historic District. See the map here for more detail.

Citizens are welcome to ask questions and share their thoughts about these options at the upcoming public workshops: