Provided by NCDOT
8:00 p.m. October 30, 2012

Some roads along Outer Banks remain closed to traffic due to flooding, overwash

RALEIGH — As winds from Hurricane Sandy calm along the North Carolina coast, crews with the N.C. Department of Transportation are still assessing the damage caused by the storm, and clearing sand and debris from roadways. In many cases, NCDOT cannot fully determine the extent of the storm’s impact until significant clean-up work is complete.

Crews are currently addressing these key areas:

U.S. 158 in Kitty Hawk

· Several large pumps were brought into Kitty Hawk and have been pumping throughout the day.

· The water level is slowly dropping.

· Local traffic is being rerouted around the area.

N.C. 12 in Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head

· NCDOT crews are now clearing sand and debris from N.C. 12, which is known locally as the “Beach Road.” The highway is littered with pieces of homes, decks and driveways.

· Crews discovered an area where pavement and dunes have been lost on N.C. 12 north of Kitty Hawk Road in Kitty Hawk.

Bonner Bridge

· Crews today conducted an on-site inspection of the Bonner Bridge, which spans Oregon Inlet and connects Hatteras Island to the mainland. The inspectors evaluated the condition of the top part of the bridge and determine how it fared during the storm.

· A scour inspection was completed this afternoon as crews were able to safely get into boats and examine the water depth around the bridge’s support columns. They will also determine how the sand under the bridge has shifted since the storm passed along the Outer Banks.

· The results from both of these inspections should be available Wednesday, Oct. 31.

· Bonner Bridge remains closed to traffic until NCDOT can reopen N.C. 12 on Pea Island.

N.C. 12 on Pea Island

· Northern Pea Island has a lot of employees and equipment working their way south moving sand and water off the highway.

· Hurricane Sandy left deep sand in areas on N.C. 12 on Pea Island from south of the Bonner Bridge to Rodanthe. Removing this sand is going to require effort with heavy equipment to clear the roadway and repair the damaged dunes. Additional equipment and crews will be brought in to help tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 31.

· Crews have discovered pavement damage on N.C. 12 on the south side of the temporary bridge over the Pea Island breach.

Rodanthe

· Crews found damage to the sandbags place along N.C. 12 after Hurricane Irene hit the area last year.

· There is a significant loss of dunes and pavement damage.

Ocracoke Island

· Crews arrived by Ferry this morning and are making progress on opening one lane to allow the Ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke to begin service Wednesday, Oct. 31.

NCDOT reminds residents and visitors in these areas not to drive through standing water. Just one foot of water can float many vehicles. If you encounter a flooded roadway, turn around and find another, safer route.

The department urges motorists to “know before you go” about travel conditions in eastern North Carolina. For real-time travel information at any time, call 511, visit www.ncdot.gov/travel or follow NCDOT on Twitter at www.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter/.

Another option is NCDOT Mobile, a phone-friendly version of the NCDOT website. To access it, type “m.ncdot.gov” into the browser of your smartphone and bookmark it for future reference. NCDOT Mobile is compatible with the iPhone, Android and some newer Blackberry phones.

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