By admin 
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Crews began work on a shredded section of N.C. 12 at the Outer Banks early Sunday afternoon following nearly four days of high surf that broke apart the key road on Hatteras Island.
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Also, Sunday, N.C. 12 reopened on Ocracoke around 1:30 p.m. following 24 hours of work rebuilding dunes and clearing water. As a result, ferry service between Hatteras and Ocracoke restarted on a limited schedule.
Earlier Sunday, emergency ferry service started to Hatteras Island several hours after Dare County officials declared a state of emergency Saturday following massive damage to Outer Banks roads.
As waves were still lapping on a shredded section of N.C. 12 Sunday morning, the emergency ferry — the link to the outside world — began for Hatteras Island.
The N.C. Department of Transportation started a ferry, which takes about two hours each way, running several times between Stumpy Point and Rodanthe on Hatteras while N.C. 12 remains closed, officials said.
Just after noon Sunday, a large excavator began work on the N.C. 12 section near the Pea Island Visitors Center on Hatteras. Waves were still lapping along parts of broken pavement as the equipment arrived.
Up to 4 feet of water was still on N.C. 12 in the Tri-Villages area and Rodanthe on Hatteras, NCDOT officials said mid-morning Sunday.
Slightly north of the severely broken pavement on Hatteras, crews were still working to rebuild dunes to protect N.C. 12 in the canal zone.
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Part of that section was still flooded but much of the dunes were rebuilt by early Sunday afternoon.
On Hatteras, N.C. 12 was closed from Sea Oats Drive to Oregon Inlet Road in Dare County.
To the south on Ocracoke, officials announced N.C. 12 reopened Sunday afternoon. On Sunday morning, water still covered much the road in the northern area of Pony Pens, according to NCDOT video. Crews were working Sunday to clear water from the road.
N.C. 12 was previously closed on Ocracoke from Pony Pens to Ferry Dock in Hyde County.
The emergency ferry service to Hatteras, which started Sunday, is restricted to Priority One and Priority Two travelers under Dare County’s State of Emergency. Non-resident visitors and non-resident property owners are not permitted to enter Hatteras Island at this time.
“Transporting essential supplies is a priority for emergency ferry operations,” Dare County officials said. “Commodities designated as essential by Dare County Emergency Management, which may include food, fuel and medical supplies, will receive priority before other traffic is accommodated.”
The emergency ferry to Hatteras service leaves the mainland from Stumpy Point, which is on U.S. 264, which is about 22 miles from Roanoke Island.
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