NCDOT: Solving Access for N.C. 12 in Dare County (SAND) Plan

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What is the SAND Plan?
The Solving Access for N.C. 12 in Dare County (SAND) Plan is being led by the N.C. Department of Transportation to evaluate long-term, resilient transportation solutions for N.C. 12 between Oregon Inlet and Rodanthe in Dare County. This Plan will inform and streamline future National Environmental Policy Act review and funding decisions.
Why is this Plan being developed?
N.C. 12 is the sole access corridor for residents, visitors, and emergency services along portions of the Outer Banks and is highly vulnerable to storm surge, flooding, overwash, erosion, and sea-level elevation changes. These conditions have resulted in repeated roadway closures, costly repairs, and disruptions to the community and the regional economy.

The SAND Plan explicitly builds on previous analyses, including the work of the N.C. 12 Task Force and earlier project development efforts. This Plan is designed to refine and advance the N.C. 12 Task Force recommendations to identify sustainable, resilient strategies that support long-term access. The Plan will evaluate cost and construction feasibility alongside environmental and community considerations. This allows NCDOT and partners to understand relative cost ranges, risks, and implementation challenges, which helps avoid advancing options that are not financially or practically viable.
What is the development process?
NCDOT is using the Federal Highway Administration’s Planning and Environment Linkages process, which is a collaborative planning process that allows transportation “planning products” such as purpose and need statements and alternatives analyses to be adopted or incorporated into future National Environmental Policy Act documents, rather than starting over once the project is in this stage.

Planning and Environment Linkages does not replace the National Environmental Policy Act but is designed to support and streamline it. The process is specifically intended to reduce rework and help projects move more efficiently toward implementation.
What is the purpose of the SAND Plan?
The Plan seeks to balance near-term risk reduction with long-term, sustainable access strategies appropriate for this dynamic coastal environment.

The purpose of the Plan is to:
- Establish a clear and defensible Purpose and Need reflecting N.C. 12’s vulnerability and importance
- Develop and evaluate a broad range of practical and cost-effective transportation alternatives
- Support a more efficient future National Environmental Policy Act process by documenting planning decisions in a FHWA‑compliant manner
- Build agency and public consensus around long-term, resilient solutions
What geographic area does the SAND Plan cover?
The Plan focuses on an approximately 11-mile segment of N.C. 12 between Oregon Inlet and Rodanthe, including areas within Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. This segment has been identified repeatedly as one of the most vulnerable portions of the corridor and a critical link for residents, visitors, and emergency services. See maps on the main project page.
How is the SAND Plan funded?
The Plan is funded through a Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation Planning Grant, which is specifically intended to help communities prepare for and respond to climate and resilience challenges. The program emphasizes not only resilience, but also project readiness. This includes understanding potential costs, phasing opportunities, and implementation risks to best inform future funding strategies.
What types of design alternatives will be considered?
The Plan will examine a broad but realistic range of design alternatives, which may include roadway improvements, bridges, nature-based solutions, or hybrid solutions. Alternatives will be evaluated at a planning level to understand not only engineering and environmental considerations, but also relative cost ranges, constructability challenges, and long‑term maintenance implications.

Cost estimates developed during the Planning and Environment Linkages process are planning‑level, representative costs, not final construction estimates. Their purpose is to understand order‑of‑magnitude differences between solutions, identify major cost drivers and risks, and support realistic comparisons between alternatives. This level of cost information helps avoid advancing options that are not feasible and allows funding discussions to begin earlier in the process. More detailed estimates will be developed later as part of formal project development under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Will environmental impacts be considered?
Environmental considerations such as potential impacts to protected species, wetlands, and cultural resources, are integrated early and iteratively in the PEL process, including planning‑level environmental screening, coordination with resource agencies, and identification of potential mitigation opportunities. This approach is intended to produce NEPA‑ready outcomes while recognizing sensitive coastal and ecological resources.
By coordinating early with resource agencies and conducting planning level environmental screening, the SAND Plan aims to identify constraints and opportunities upfront, reducing surprises and delays later in the process. Environmental considerations will be evaluated alongside planning‑level cost and feasibility information, allowing environmental impacts, resilience benefits, and potential costs to be understood and compared together.
How will agencies be involved?
Federal, state, and local agencies will participate through structured coordination consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act/404 Merger Process. Agency input will play a key role in informing project milestones including purpose and need, alternatives screening, and project implementation pathways.
How can the public participate meaningfully in this project?
Public and stakeholder engagement is a core element of the Plan. Engagement activities include public meetings, small group meetings, and virtual outreach. Public input will be documented and considered throughout the process. Opportunities for public engagement will be advertised on this website, and on NCDOT’s Public Events webpage. For immediate questions, please contact nc-12-access@publicinput.com.
Does this Plan identify one final solution or approve construction?
The SAND Plan will not identify a final project or replace the National Environmental Policy Act environmental review. It identifies and refines solutions that will be carried forward into future National Environmental Policy Act studies, where formal decisions will occur. It establishes groundwork so that when decisions are made in the future, they build on a well-documented analysis process, agency coordination, and public input, rather than restarting the process.
What will be different at the end of this project compared to past studies?
At the conclusion of the Plan, NCDOT and partners will have:
- A planning foundation that can be formally adopted into future NEPA studies
- A clear, defensible Purpose and Need Statement
- A documented screening of alternatives
- Early environmental coordination already completed
- A record of stakeholder and public input
- Planning‑level cost ranges and feasibility insights that will inform programming and funding decisions

4/2/2026 2:51 PM

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