The Hatteras-Ocracoke vehicle ferry will operate on an alternate schedule while Sloop Channel is being dredged, a project that is expected to take about a month to complete.
transportation
Portion of Hampstead bypass in Pender to open next week
A portion of newly constructed southbound lanes of the U.S. 17 Hampstead bypass will be opened to motorists beginning May 28.
NCDOT ferry system adds summer routes for Pamlico Sound
The summer schedule for N.C. Department of Transportation ferries that cross the Pamlico Sound include additional routes.
Wildlife Resources, Highway Patrol urge safe holiday boating
Though the number of boating incidents reported in North Carolina is down slightly this year, compared to 2025, boating fatalities have increased.
Utility relocation set for summer at Wrightsville Beach bridge
NCDOT contract crews are expected to begin relocating utilities at the smaller of two West Salisbury Street bridges in Wrightsville Beach this summer.
Slow down, Outer Banks, the tourists are coming
The speed limit on portions of N.C. 12 through a series of villages and towns will drop by 10 mph ahead of the summer tourism season.
Hatteras-Ocracoke passenger ferry offers summer service
The Ocracoke Express passenger ferry, which provides direct service from Hatteras to the heart of Ocracoke Village, is now operating through the summer season.
Surf City to test temporary signal near island roundabout
Beginning May 6, drivers crossing the bridge onto the island side of Surf City will be stopped by a temporary traffic signal near the island roundabout.
Measure would create special ‘Red Wolf’ vehicle tags
A bipartisan group of legislators has filed a bill to authorize the Division of Motor Vehicles to begin issuing special vehicle registration plates with proceeds benefiting the state’s eastern red wolf population.
Rough dig: Dismal Swamp Canal never quite lived up to plans
With poor initial funding, shoddy engineering and enslaved laborers forced to work in awful conditions, the man-made connection between the Albemarle Sound and Chesapeake Bay fell victim to competition but is now thought to be the country’s oldest operating canal.
Delays likely at Wrightsville Beach bridge during NCDOT tests
Drivers in Wrightsville Beach should allow extra travel time from now into May as crews perform drilling through the West Salisbury Street bridge deck over Banks Channel.
NCDOT to host meetings on plans to improve NC 12 access
The meetings in Hatteras, Rodanthe and Nags Head are an opportunity for the public to hear from transportation officials possible solutions for a vulnerable stretch of N.C. 12 in Dare County.
Public sways officials to ax parkway plan’s preferred NC route
State transportation officials, in response to public feedback, said Wednesday that the North Carolina portion of the formerly preferred Carolina Bays Parkway Extension Alternative 4 will not be built as initially proposed.
For the next two years, plan on lane closures at U.S. 17 bridge
While traffic will continue to flow over the bridge, the preservation project on the 16-year-old structure isn’t expected to be complete until summer 2028.
NCDOT gears up for this month’s spring litter sweep
The biannual statewide roadside litter removal initiative, usually held last two weeks of April and September, encourages residents to join efforts in their community to help clean up North Carolina’s roadways.
Four ferry routes expand schedules for spring season
NCDOT increased Tuesday departures for the ferries traveling between Hatteras-Ocracoke, Swan Quarter-Ocracoke, Cedar Island-Ocracoke and Southport-Fort Fisher.

















