North Carolina Highway 12 (NC 12) is a 148.0-mile-long (238.2 km) primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina, linking the peninsulas and islands of the northern Outer Banks. Most sections of NC 12 are two lanes wide, and there are also two ferry routes which maintain continuity of the route as it traverses the Outer Banks region. NC 12 is part of the Outer Banks Scenic Byway, a National Scenic Byway. The first NC 12 appeared on the 1924 North Carolina Official Map and at its height ran from NC 30 in Pollocksville to NC 48 near Murfreesboro. Over time it was replaced by both US 258 and NC 58 and ceased to exist in 1958. The current NC 12 first appeared on the 1964 state highway map running from US 158 in Nags Head to Ocracoke. In 1976 NC 12 was extended to US 70 on the mainland and in 1987 was extended north to Corolla.
Route description
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North Carolina Highway 12 begins at USÂ 70 at the unincorporated community of Sea Level. From there NCÂ 12 travels Northeast along Cedar Island Road to Cedar Island. Once the road enters Cedar Island it turns northwest running along the Cedar Bay all the way to the Cedar Island-Ocracoke ferry. After arriving at Ocracoke the road immediately runs along the western side of Silver Lake in the eastern side of the town. After leaving Ocracoke NCÂ 12 enters the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. NCÂ 12 runs along the middle of the island all the way until it reaches the Cape Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry in Point Beach.
After arriving at Hatteras Village, NCÂ 12 turns left onto Coast Guard Road. The road follows Coast Guard Road along the northern part of the town before turning back into N Carolina 12. NCÂ 12 runs along a narrow strip of land in the middle of the island before going through Frisco. After passing through Frisco the road goes north of the Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve before going through Buxton and passing the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Continuing northward it passes through the communities of Avon, Salvo, Waves, and Rodanthe. It crosses the temporary New Inlet bridge (the inlet reopened by Hurricane Irene in 2011) and a few miles north the Herbert C. Bonner bridge over Oregon Inlet, separating Pea Island from Bodie Island. Nearby is the Bodie Island Lighthouse and visitor center. NCÂ 12 then continues north, where it intersects USÂ 64 and USÂ 158 south of the town of Nags Head. NCÂ 12 runs through Nags Head along the Virginia Dare Trail just east of US 158. The road continues north through Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk and Southern Shores. NCÂ 12 enters Corolla along Ocean Trail and continues along the west bank through the town. NCÂ 12 ends just north of Corolla and south of the Currituck Banks National Estuarine Research Reserve. Ferries along the route of NCÂ 12 are operated by the Ferry Division of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).
The highway is the eastern most primary route in the state.
Outer Banks Scenic Byway
The Outer Banks Scenic Byway begins at the intersection of US 70 and Merrimon Road. The Outer Banks Scenic Byway follows US 70 East to NC 12 on Cedar Island. The byway then continues onto NC 12 North near Atlantic. The byway then crosses the Ocracoke-Cedar Island Ferry north. It follows NC 12 north the rest of the way to the intersection of US 64 and NC 12 in Nags Head where it has its northern terminus. The Outer Banks Scenic Byway spans approximately 131 Miles and takes about 6 Hours to drive.
History
NCÂ 12 first appeared on the 1924 State highway map running from Kinston to NCÂ 40 south of Halifax. NCÂ 12 went from Kinston northwest to Snow Hill where it met up with NCÂ 102. From there the road went north to Farmville where it met up with NCÂ 91. From there it continued north to Scotland Neck passing through Tarboro. In Scotland Neck NC 12 turned to the west and ended at NCÂ 40 south of Halifax. By 1933, NCÂ 12 was rerouted to Rich Square and extended south to USÂ 17/NCÂ 30; at the same time, USÂ 258 was routed along of the routing of NCÂ 12 north of Kinston. By 1935, NCÂ 12 was truncated to Kinston with USÂ 258 getting the routing north of Kinston. In 1958 the last portion of NC 12 south of Kinston was renumbered as NC 58 NC 12 shows up on the 1964 map running from Ocracoke to Whalebone. In 1976 NC 12 was extended onto the mainland to connect with US 70 In 1987, NCÂ 12 was extended north of Nags Head along the Virginia Dare Trail (then Business USÂ 158) NCÂ 12 was extended further to Corolla, its present northern terminus, a year later.. A condition of the extension imposed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation is the road extends no further than Corolla.
Hatteras Island was cut in two on September 18, 2003 by Hurricane Isabel which opened a new inlet 3,000 feet (910Â m) wide and 30 feet (9.1Â m) deep through the community of Hatteras Village on the southern end of Hatteras Island. This new inlet was temporarily named the Isabel Inlet after the hurricane. Road access along NCÂ 12 was temporarily severed until the island was repaired and restored by sand pumped ashore by the Army Corps of Engineers. In 2007, Subtropical Storm Andrea caused high winds to push waves over dunes and onto the highway on Hatteras Island, leaving water a foot deep and sand 2 to 3 feet (0.91Â m) deep in some places.
NC 12 was severed in two places by Hurricane Irene in late August 2011. The road was breached by two small inlets, about 200 feet (61Â m) across apiece, in the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, and north of Rodanthe. As a result, the only way to access Hatteras Island was by ferry. On October 10, 2011, a temporary bridge opened over the largest breach. The bridge, which is 662 feet (202Â m) long, could be in place for more than 10 years while other solutions are thought out. As Hurricane Sandy battered the East Coast in October 2012, it has left portions of NC 12 inundated with salt water and sand. That forced the closure of the road, leaving the remaining people on the Outer Banks isolated from mainland North Carolina.
In late October 2012, Hurricane Sandy washed out and damaged a portion of the road at the S-curves north of Rodanthe on the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Emergency ferry service was established from Rodanthe to Stumpy point ferry terminals. As in 2011, the ferry service became the lifeline for Hatteras Island. Noreasters and storms repeatedly caused breaches since the road was repaired in December 2012. A state of emergency was declared and $20.8 million of emergency federal funding was secured to construct a more permanent repair.
Junction list
See also
- North Carolina Bicycle Route 7 â€" Concurrent with NC 12 from US 70 to the Cedar Islandâ€"Ocracoke Ferry
References
External links
- Media related to North Carolina Highway 12 at Wikimedia Commons
- Media related to Outer Banks Scenic Byway at Wikimedia Commons
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service)
- NCDOT: NC Highway 12
- NCRoads.com: N.C. 12
- Outer Banks Scenic Byway
