One Lane, One Direction, and a Long Wait to Leave

There is a particular kind of patience that coastal communities learn, a patience born of living at the edge of the sea. When the ocean decides to take a piece of the road, there is no negotiation, only waiting and work. Last week, a nor’easter took a thousand feet of N.C. 12 on Pea Island, cutting off Hatteras Island from the mainland and stranding hundreds of visitors and residents alike. On Tuesday afternoon, the road opened again, one lane at a time, and the waiting began to end.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation reopened N.C. 12 on Pea Island at 3 p.m. Tuesday, using a one-lane gravel road as a temporary fix to move hundreds of eager travelers north from Hatteras Island to the mainland . The reopening came five days after the storm damaged a section of the highway near the Pea Island Visitor Center, forcing its closure in the early hours of September 24 .

The temporary road is open only to northbound traffic at first, allowing people to leave the island. Once congestion clears, southbound traffic will be allowed, with an automatic flagger system controlling alternating directions . There is no timeline for when the road will fully reopen with two paved lanes . “Drivers should be patient, pay attention and drive through the area with caution,” NCDOT advised .

For days, the only way off the island was by water. NCDOT’s Ferry Division launched an emergency route between Rodanthe and Stumpy Point on Sunday, running 24 hours a day with three vessels capable of carrying 25 to 30 vehicles each . The crossing took about two hours, and the fleet could move roughly 250 vehicles in 24 hours . By Monday, a three-mile line of cars stretched through Rodanthe, with some drivers waiting overnight for a chance to board .

Entry restrictions remain in place for those trying to get onto Hatteras Island. Dare County’s emergency order limits access to essential personnel, critical business vendors, and permanent residents. Visitors are not allowed on Hatteras-bound ferries, and law enforcement is stationed at terminals to ensure compliance . “Visitors with upcoming reservations on Hatteras Island should not travel toward the island at this time,” county officials said .

The storm that caused the damage was a powerful nor’easter, a coastal system with strong northeast winds that drove ocean water over the dunes and onto the highway. NCDOT crews rebuilt the protective sand dune before constructing the temporary gravel road . The agency said it does not have a timeline for when N.C. 12 will be fully restored .

The reopening brought relief to those who had been stranded, some for days longer than planned. A newlywed couple trapped on the island described waiting for bulldozers and watching the water recede . Others lined up in their cars overnight, hoping to be among the first to cross. The road is open now, but the island remains in a state of partial access, its connection to the mainland still fragile, still one lane at a time.

AI Image Disclaimer: All images associated with this report were created by artificial intelligence and are illustrative in nature.

Sources: N.C. Department of Transportation, NC Newsline, CBS 17, Raleigh News & Observer