RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Transportation has now suspended operations on all seven ferry routes because of heavy winds and rain pounding the North Carolina coast.
NCDOT had suspended six of the seven coastal ferry routes by 8 a.m. Saturday and decided at 8 a.m. Sunday to suspend operations on the Aurora-Bayview ferry that crosses the Pamlico River, too.
A strong storm bringing heavy rain and sustained winds up to 45 mph has made travel unsafe on parts of the Outer Banks and coastal North Carolina.
N.C. 12, the main road connecting North Carolina’s Outer Banks, was closed between the Marc Basnight Bridge and Rodanthe at 5 p.m. Saturday. NCDOT officials are assessing N.C. 12 today but say the road experienced some flooding and sand overwash last night. Transportation officials will continue to assess the road and announce when it is safe to reopen. Prior to closing the road Saturday, NCDOT crews were using front-end loaders and other equipment to remove sand from the road.
Among the ferry routes suspended are the routes headed to Ocracoke Island. Transportation officials say the storm has brought some flooding to Cedar Island, which is one of the ferry routes to Ocracoke. Officials with the Ferry Division will continue to assess the storm’s impacts and announce when it is safe to resume ferry operations.
For updates, follow the Ferry Division on Twitter at @NCDOT_Ferry.