RODANTHE, N.C. — Hatteras Island’s only road link to the mainland is cut again, so the state is putting boats on the water. Beginning at 5 a.m. Thursday, the state Ferry Division is running round-the-clock emergency boats from Stumpy Point to Rodanthe, with the highway shut from the south end of the Marc Basnight Bridge down to the village.
Overwash forced the closure Tuesday evening. By morning, surf had eaten beneath the asphalt beside the Pea Island Visitor Center. Transportation officials estimate about 800 feet of pavement was damaged, and the dune line guarding the road there is down by roughly 1,800 feet. Crews are also using heavy equipment to push back blown sand in the Canal Zone.
No reopening date has been set. More high tides must pass and the overwash must ease before engineers can fully judge the damage and plan repairs. The Stumpy Point route was last pressed into service in late September, making this its second activation in about a month, after an earlier nor’easter broke up the same section of road.
The crossing takes about two hours each way on a three-boat schedule, with the first Thursday departures at 5 a.m. from both terminals and runs as late as 11 p.m. Starting Friday, the schedule adds a 2 a.m. trip in each direction. Space is limited and long waits are expected. Bulk fuel and propane loads are held to set trips so cars have more room.
Dare County’s reentry limits apply to every boat headed to Rodanthe. Only permanent residents, essential workers, critical vendors, Hatteras Island business employees and nonresident property owners may board, and law officers will check at the dock. The county’s state of emergency stands, and visitors remain under orders to leave Hatteras Island, and visitors with bookings are asked to stay away and call their rental provider.
Forecasters expected coastal flooding and overwash to continue through Thursday, with high tides possibly matching or topping earlier levels before winds ease. County officials told residents to plan for the road being out for several days. Trash pickup on Hatteras Island is suspended until the highway reopens to traffic.
Section: More Outer Banks NC crime news
Filed under: Outer Banks NC Traffic News
