OCRACOKE – The N.C. Department of Transportation will be suspending work to rebuild protective dunes along N.C. Highway 12 on Ocracoke in order to accommodate visitors to Blackbeard’s Pirate Jamboree this weekend.
The work on the dunes, which requires the use of a pilot car to guide motorists to and from the ferry terminal on the north end of Ocracoke Island, will stop at midday on Friday and resume Monday morning.
In addition, the N.C. Ferry System’s Hatteras-Ocracoke route will have extra ferries on standby to help alleviate any backups that may occur on N.C. 12 during the Ocracoke event.
“We want to make sure anyone who wants to attend the Pirate Jamboree can do so as easily as possible,” said N.C. Ferry Division Director Harold Thomas.
However, festivalgoers are advised to stay tuned to weather conditions that may impact ferry operations. A nor’easter is forecast to bring conditions to the North Carolina coast Friday afternoon that may cause some ferry runs to be delayed or cancelled. For the safety of passengers and ferry crews, the state’s ferries do not run during potentially unsafe weather.
To get the latest conditions on all ferry routes and schedules, follow the Ferry System on Twitter: @NCDOT_Ferry.