Updates: Temporary Bridge, Rodanthe and The Emergency Ferry

What's Happened? What's Next?

Paving 
As you may know, paving at the temporary bridge was completed yesterday.  Replacement of guardrail is the only remaining work there and that should begin today or tomorrow.  A temporary signal with a one lane traffic pattern will be in place at the temporary bridge until the guardrail is completed.

Paving of the repaired spans on Bonner Bridge were completed on Monday.
 
In an effort to reduce the length of the closed areas that have to be managed, Dare County is moving the checkpoints south of the temporary bridge.  

All other work with the exception of guardrail at the temporary bridge is complete.

S-Curves
At Rodanthe, sandbag installation continues along the east side of NC 12.  The contractor is working from south to north.  Additionally, removal of damaged pavement is set to begin on Monday. 

Monday Ferry Schedule Note
  
On Monday, Dec. 3, the 10 p.m. emergency ferry departure from Stumpy point to Rodanthe will be delayed so that a davit cable for the lifeboat on the Motor Vessel Hatteras can be replaced.  More details.

UPDATE: 4WD Access Opened Ahead of Schedule!

Our crew completed the maintenance work on the four-wheel drive access detour two hours ahead of schedule and it is now open to traffic!

Big, big kudos to the folks out there who worked hard to shore  up the access detour!

NOTE: The weight restrictions on the 4WD access that were initiated Tuesday ARE still in place.

Sandbagging, Thanks, and Kudos

As most of you know, the 4WD access is closed today from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. so that our crews can perform maintenance and repair it in the wake of the workout it's been getting.  Work is also underway to protect it from any future overwash, in the event winter weather kicks the surf up again.

Here are some photos of work to install sandbags near Mirlo:

 These photos come to us from our field staff who take the time to snap the shots and send them to us when they can.  Most of them come from Pablo Hernandez, who is no stranger to this kind of situation.  Check out this profile of him that we posted on this blog last year.  A big thanks to Pablo for his help! Again!

Other notes this morning: Our Pamlico Sound ferries are returning to normal schedules after adding additional routes for the Thanksgiving holiday.

And kudos to the employees of the Ferry Division! They just received the Governor's Award for Excellence!

4WD Closure set for Thursday

The large amount of traffic using the four-wheel drive access route on NC 12 at the S-curves, as well as the condition of the sand is forcing us to close the road tomorrow so that crews can  increase the stability of the sand on the north end of the route.  

The maintenance will also help reduce the likelihood of overwash on the access route as well. 

The four-wheel drive access will be closed Thursday, Nov. 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The traffic volume and sand conditions also forced NCDOT crews to implement vehicle size and weight restrictions.

Since the four-wheel drive route along N.C. 12 on Pea Island opened, a number of vehicles have gotten stuck in the sand and required a tow truck to get them out. This not only causes delays for the other vehicles using the route, but it also damages the makeshift road.

To help protect access and make traffic flow more efficiently, NCDOT is no longer allowing any vehicle larger than a one-ton truck to use the route. In addition, trucks with trailers are not permitted. Two-wheel drive vehicles are not allowed on the route under any circumstance.

Vehicles who do not meet the weight requirements and/or vehicles with trailers are becoming stuck in the sand, and this causes unnecessary back-ups as tow trucks and heavy equipment remove them.
 
Those of you who can use the route - please remember - the ride will be rough as you will be traveling over sand, damaged pavement and some water. On the sandy portions of the route, please follow lane markers.

Other important safety measures to take 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 are 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.

New Weight Limits for 4WD Access

Since the four-wheel drive route along N.C. 12 on Pea Island opened, a number of vehicles have gotten stuck in the sand and required a tow truck to get them out. Sunday alone, 49 vehicles had to be towed. This not only causes delays for the other vehicles using the route, but it also damages the makeshift road.

To help protect access and make traffic flow more efficiently, NCDOT is no longer allowing any vehicle larger than a one-ton truck to use the route. In addition, trucks with trailers are not permitted.

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.

Now that it's calmed down a bit...

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, the wind, tide and overall weather situation calmed down some and if you're a regular follower of our Facebook page or Twitter account, you know the four-wheel drive access has not been closed quite as frequently.

Four-wheel drive access on Friday, Nov

While surf conditions have calmed considerably,  normal tides are still at the edge of the old road. Traffic through the holiday weekend was very heavy over the four-wheel drive access, which was able to remain open through high tide on Saturday and Sunday.  Today at Rodanthe sandbag installation began at the south end. 

 

So, with the improving weather, what's next?  

  

Our engineers are out looking at the trouble spots today and tomorrow, and are evaluating options.  As soon as details are available we will let you know. 

We've also had some questions regarding other issues related to NC 12, beyond the S-curves/Rodanthe trouble spot:

 

Bonner Bridge: Paving is expected to take approximately one day.  Once that's finished, the crews will then move down to the temporary bridge to begin work.

Signal timing @ temporary bridge: The timing of this signal will not be changed. There was more traffic over the holiday.  Things should be back to a more ‘normal’ rate this week. Also, paving will begin at this site tomorrow and the temporary signal might be replaced with flaggers during paving hours. 

  

Four-wheel Drive Access times: Dare County Sheriff’s Department is escorting vehicles until 10 p.m. Safety and traffic volume are the main reasons for the 10:00 p.m. closure time.

Recovery Planning

Short-Term Recovery Plans:
NCDOT is currently holding meetings and taking part in discussions with partner agencies to determine the most efficient and reliable way to restore traffic to N.C. 12 on Pea Island near Mirlo Beach. NCDOT also is actively partnering with US Army Corps of Engineers to pursue emergency nourishment along this same area.

However, until rough seas calm and crews can fully assess the impacts of the most recent Nor’easter, the department cannot make a final decision.

In the meantime, we continue to work hard to keep the four-wheel drive route open each day for as long as tidal conditions allow. Rapid changes do cause overwash and force intermittent closures to ensure motorist safety. Check road status.

Long-Term Recovery Plans:
NCDOT is currently developing long-term solutions for the breaches caused by Hurricane Irene on the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and in Rodanthe in August 2011. These same areas were also impacted by Hurricane Sandy and two Nor’easters this year. Hurricane Irene video

After holding several public meetings and collecting input from a panel of coastal engineers and scientists, NCDOT is considering the following options:

• Replacing the temporary bridge on Pea Island with a permanent bridge within the existing easement; and

• Building a bridge from Pea Island to Rodanthe. One possibility includes elevating N.C. 12 onto a bridge within the existing easement, which would end just north of the community center and not require beach nourishment. Another option is constructing an approximately 2.5-mile bridge that would extend into the Pamlico Sound and connect back to Rodanthe just north of the Historic District.

These long-term solutions are currently moving through the environmental planning process required by the state and federal governments.

Coastal Monitoring Program
To gauge the changes to Pea Island for years to come, NCDOT has instituted a Coastal Monitoring Program along N.C. 12. Using aerial photography and field studies, the department can note where shifts and weak spots are occurring. This information helps NCDOT decide where and when to make future improvements to N.C. 12 from the south end of the Bonner Bridge to Rodanthe.

The Coastal Monitoring Program was put into effect as part of the Bonner Bridge Replacement Project in December 2010. Therefore, any of the alternatives (beach nourishment, road relocation and bridging) previously studied as part of the original environmental analysis could be considered for future phases.

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.

NC12 For Facebook

We've created a new NC 12 Facebook page to help keep all the information about the weather's effects on NC 12 in one place.  Please visit the page and take a "liking" to it!

Sandy and Nor'Easter Athena Batter the OBX; NC 12 Reopens to 4WD

Late season storms have not been kind to N.C. 12 and the Outer Banks this year.  As if Hurricane Sandy wasn't enough, a November Nor'Easter - dubbed "Athena" by The Weather Channel got in the way as NCDOT tried to repair the damage caused by Sandy.

On Saturday, Nov. 10, four-wheel drive vehicles were able to travel along N.C. 12 on Pea Island after N.C. Department of Transportation crews opened an emergency access route for them. This marks the first time NCDOT has opened the highway to residents and visitors since damage from Hurricane Sandy forced the closure of N.C. 12 from south of the Bonner Bridge to Rodanthe on Oct. 28.

The route offers one lane in each direction, except at the temporary bridge and the Bonner Bridge, where it narrows to a single lane for vehicles traveling in both directions. The department placed temporary traffic signals at each bridge to regulate traffic flow safely.


View Nor'easter Athena and NC 12 - Access in a larger map

If you're going to use the route, just keep these safety tips in mind:

• Only  four-wheel drive vehicles with a high ground clearance should use the route. 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 four temporary traffic signals.

Although N.C. 12 is open to four-wheel drive access, repair work on the highway continues in Kitty Hawk, the Bonner Bridge and across Pea Island. Heavy equipment and crews will work during daylight hours to fix the damaged pavement, move sand off the highway and reconstruct dunes.

NCDOT urges motorists to be aware that are traveling through an active work zone and use caution to ensure that they, as well as construction crews, remain safe.