OCRACOKE – The N.C. Department of Transportation has awarded a $1.77 million emergency contract to reopen and repair N.C. Highway 12 on Ocracoke after the road was critically damaged during Hurricane Dorian.
The contract was awarded to RPC Contracting of Kitty Hawk. Contractors plan to move equipment to the site this week.
The work will involve sandbag installation, a reconstruction of the dune line protecting the highway, and complete rebuilding of about 1,000 feet of roadway. The N.C. Ferry Division’s Dredge Manteo will pump sand from the old Hatteras ferry channel to supply sand for the reconstruction.
The timeline for reopening is subject to change due to weather conditions, but the contract targets a date of Nov. 22 for reopening the roadway, with incentives for opening early. The final contract completion is April 30, to include dune reconstruction, planting dunes with seagrass, and placement of final pavement surface and markings.