For many years, various sections of N.C. Highway 12 on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island have been forced to close as a result of weather events ranging from storms to nor’easters to hurricanes that lead to overwash or cause portions of the roadway to wash out entirely. 

These closures—which have often occurred on multiple occasions within a given year and sometimes for extended periods of time—create severe disruptions to the life, health, safety, and welfare of the residents of and visitors to Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. Unless addressed properly, these repeated closures will continue to have significant negative impacts on the Outer Banks community.

Image of N.C. 12 roads broken and buckled after a hurricane. The ocean water washed into the broken pavement.
Image of N.C. 12 roads covered in sand and water after a hurricane. A 45mph speed limit sign leans toward the ground.
Avon hurricane causes overwash into roads causing road closures.
Avon Food Lion parking lot flooded from breach during hurricane.
Vehicles on NC 12 driving through overwash.

Creation of the N.C. 12 Task Force

Since late 2020, representatives of Dare County, Hyde County, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) have been in discussions concerning developing a plan to maintain N.C. 12, both in the short term and in the long term, in order to provide sustainable access for the residents, property owners, and visitors to Dare County and Hyde County. 

From these extensive discussions, Dare County officials have created the N.C. 12 Task Force to formally begin that planning process and to start searching for viable solutions to the problems the Outer Banks community faces when it comes to this very vulnerable stretch of highway. During his opening remarks at the Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting that was held on April 19, 2021, Chairman Bob Woodard announced the formation of the N.C. 12 Task Force. 

The project—which is titled “Staying Connected”—is the collaborative development of a long-term, resilient transportation plan for N.C. Highway 12 and associated transportation facilities in Dare and Hyde counties, North Carolina. According to the N.C. 12 Task Force’s mission and charter, “resilient” is defined as “compatible with a dynamic, storm-prone coastal environment; reliable; safe; less prone to damage and closures; and easier and less costly to maintain.” 

Upcoming Meetings

Meetings are open to the public and are held bimonthly at the Dare County Administration Building, 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo, NC 27954, in Room 168.

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Click here to view N.C. 12 Task Force Documents