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NC 12 road closure facilitates emergency evacuation ferry runs
MANNS HARBOR — The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Ferry Division today announced that it is activating the Stumpy Point-Rodanthe route for emergency purposes. The division has gained approval from the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the emergency route.
The emergency route is open to residents and visitors; however, priority may be given to emergency vehicles, utility trucks, service vehicles and vendors.
The Stumpy Point ferry dock is accessible from U.S. 264 West, one-half a mile past the entrance to the Village of Stumpy Point. The emergency dock in Rodanthe is accessible from Myrna Peters Road towards Rodanthe Harbor. There will be six departures from each side daily, utilizing three double-ender ferries: the Motor Vessels Croatan, W. Stanford White and Hatteras, with a capacity of 40 vehicles and 300 passengers each.
The Stumpy Point-Rodanthe schedule is as follows:
· Departing Stumpy Point daily: 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.; and
· Departing Rodanthe daily: 6:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The ferry division will continue to run the additional runs added to the Ocracoke-Swan Quarter route:
· Departing Ocracoke at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.; and
· Departing Swan Quarter at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The following runs on the Ocracoke-Cedar Island route have been cancelled:
· 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. departing from Ocracoke; and
· 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. departing from Cedar Island.
The following runs on the Ocracoke-Cedar Island route will continue to take place:
· 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. departing from Cedar Island; and
· 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. departing from Ocracoke.
No reservations are required during this emergency situation. Motorists will be accommodated on a first come, first serve basis. All of these changes are dependent upon the tidal conditions on both Hatteras and Ocracoke islands. This schedule will remain in effect until NC 12 becomes passable for the general public.
For further information, go to the Ferry Division Web site at www.ncferry.org or call 1-800-293-3779 and Press 1. There are several ways for citizens to find out about road conditions. Travelers can call 511, the state’s toll-free travel information line, or visit the NCDOT Traveler Information Web site at www.ncdot.gov/traffictravel.
NCDOT also offers travel information on Twitter, a free social-networking Web site. Citizens can get brief updates, or “tweets,” for 16 different routes or regions of the state, including the coast and the state’s ferry system.
To see all the Twitter options NCDOT offers and information on how to sign up for a Twitter account, go to www.ncdot.gov/travel/twitter. Signing up allows users to receive tweets on mobile devices such as cell phones and PDA’s.
***NCDOT***
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