RALEIGH – The following are highlights from this week at the N.C. Department of Transportation. The stories below are also featured in
NCDOT Now, the department's weekly newscast.
RALEIGH – The following are highlights from this week at the N.C. Department of Transportation. The stories below are also featured in NCDOT Now, the department's weekly newscast.
Section of N.C. 12 Reopens
A section of
N.C. 12 on Hatteras Island is back open to traffic after suffering a hit from another major storm.
The highway closed Saturday evening due to the dangerous travel conditions. The storm washed out several dunes and blew sand and overwash onto the road. The section of N.C. 12 reopened Wednesday afternoon after crews were able to clear the debris and found no damage.
Meanwhile, last weekend’s storm delayed Friday’s scheduled reopening of a separate section of N.C. 12. The section on Ocracoke Island was closed after Hurricane Dorian hit in early September. The road has been under repair since. Transportation officials hope to reopen the Ocracoke section of N.C. 12 soon.
Preparing for the Thanksgiving Holiday
In more travel news, we are less than a week away from one of the busiest travel times of the year- Thanksgiving.
AAA estimates more than 1.3 million North Carolinians will hit the road with 150,000 taking planes, trains and buses for the November holiday. That’s up from last year. You can expect the most traffic on Wednesday and Sunday.
Whether or not you plan to drive down the street or cross country, the N.C. Department of Transportation wants you to get to your destination safely.
NCDOT will put most construction projects on major highways on hold across the state between the morning of Nov. 27 and the evening of Dec. 2. Although most crews will not be working, you may still see some lane closures and traffic shifts in place, so use caution.
Visit
drivenc.gov for the most up to date traffic information.
Southwest Bypass Opens
For those living in Pitt County, travel is improving thanks to the new
Southwest Bypass. The bypass opened to drivers after a ceremonial ribbon cutting Thursday.
The four-lane, 12.6-mile freeway is expected to improve travel time along the U.S. 264 / N.C. 11 corridor and spur commercial and residential development.
Fall Litter Sweep Accomplishments
Finally, thanks to everyone who participated in our fall litter sweep. This year, more than 621,000 pounds of trash and recyclables were picked up. That’s 63 percent more than the fall 2018 sweep.
While NCDOT does host two litter sweeps a year, remember litter is a yearlong problem and the department relies on everyone to keep our state beautiful.
For more information about NCDOT Now, contact the NCDOT Communications Office at (919) 707-2660. Additional news stories from throughout the week can be found on
NCDOT.gov.