News

Actions

Residents say long-term solution needed for NC12

Posted at 12:20 AM, Mar 20, 2013
and last updated 2013-03-21 00:07:56-04

Outer Banks, N.C. - Drivers on NC12 have had to deal with orange cones & red flags quite a bit lately.

Crews are working to remove sand at the S-Curves just north of Mirlo Beach.

Now that Governor Pat McCrory has declared NC12 near Rodanthe a state of emergency, work will be done to help keep the road open more often.

It's a road that many in the area depend on including Briggs McEwan who has owned Lisa's Pizzeria for 15 years.  Every time the road is closed, it affects his business.

"We're basically a 100% tourism industry, so without the road, we cannot operate," says McEwan.

Governor McCrory's declaration will help NCDOT move forward with a short-term solution to protect the highway from frequent ocean overwash from coastal storms, like Hurricane Sandy.

That solution is to speed up rebuilding the beach along the S-Curves to keep the road open until a long-term solution is in place.

The state & the Army Corps of Engineers hope to start the beach renourishment at the S-curves mid to late spring.

Some people we talked to along the Outer Banks say it's about time that something's done to fix the problem on NC12. And with beach season just months away, it's more important than ever.

McEwan says beach season makes up about 85% of his business. He says a short term plan is fine, but a long term solution is needed.