Alternate Transportation Options Set for N.C. 12 Closure
NCDOT Press Release –
NCDOT detour map.
The N.C. Department of Transportation announced a necessary closure of N.C. 12 in Frisco beginning Friday, Feb. 28, and ending no later than Monday, March 3. The closure, which is necessary for the replacement of a culvert pipe under N.C. 12, is at a location where there is no detour available. NCDOT has worked closely with Dare County and the National Park Service to set up alternatives for residents, visitors and emergency personnel to travel around the closure.
The culvert pipe being replaced is located just south of Timber Trail in Frisco and stretches underneath both lanes of N.C. 12. To perform this replacement, NCDOT must dig up the road at this location, remove the existing pipe, lay the new pipe and then reconstruct the road surface before reopening the road to traffic. To minimize the length of the closure, crews will perform as much work on-site as possible during the day Friday before closing the road that night. A single lane closure may be in place during the day on Friday.
NCDOT identified this pipe as needing replacement due to its deteriorating condition and chose to replace it now to prevent any possibility of an emergency closure at a later date. It is also being done now in advance of a resurfacing project scheduled to take place in Frisco later this spring.
During the closure, Cape Hatteras National Seashore will offer a temporary route for Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs) as a detour. ORVs will be allowed to access Seashore beaches at Ramp 45 near Lighthouse Road and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in Buxton, and at Ramp 49 near Billy Mitchell Airport in Frisco, to detour through the park for a distance of approximately 8.6 miles, including paved and over-sand routes. The sand route will be open to four-wheel-drive vehicles only. More information can be found at the National Park Service website.
For those without access to a four-wheel-drive vehicle, Dare County Emergency Management has arranged for shuttle service from the north and south sides of the construction site. On Saturday, March 1, and Sunday, March 2, Dare County Transportation and Dare County Schools will provide service from the Cape Hatteras Secondary School of Coastal Studies in Buxton on the north side of the site, and from the Frisco Bath House parking area on the south side of the site. Shuttles will depart from each parking location at 7, 9 and 11 a.m., and at 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m. The shuttle will pick passengers up from each location and drop them off near the construction site where NCDOT will provide a temporary pedestrian walkway for access across the closure. Riders will then board the shuttle on the opposite side and continue to the parking area for that side of the closure. Service will also be provided to Oden’s Dock in Hatteras on Saturday. The shuttle service is only available at the parking areas listed above and no other sites. There is no parking near the construction area, so anyone who plans to utilize the temporary walkway must use the shuttle service.
Area residents and visitors are advised to plan ahead for the closure. For more information on this closure as it becomes available, visit the NCDOT N.C. 12 Facebook Page. For information on ferry service to and from Hatteras Island, as well as other NCDOT ferry routes, visit the NCDOT Ferry Division Facebook page.
NCDOT reminds motorists to watch signs for construction information, stay alert and obey the posted speed limit. 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. Then, bookmark it to save for future reference. NCDOT Mobile is compatible with the iPhone, Android and some newer Blackberry phones.
