The narrow strip of land that Highway 12 runs through near Rodanthe on Hatteras Island is always a problem spot when storms hit the island. The NCDOT requested beach nourishment for 2 miles along Highway 12 to protect the highway from future ocean overwash. This area is often referred to as the S-Curves on Hatteras Island. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $20.3 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. LLC of Oak Brook, Illinous to build up the dunes along the S-Curves. This will be a temproary fixed until the long term plan for a bridge can be finalized. Several houses along the highway as you enter Rodanthe from the north have been lost due to erosion, storms and overwash in recent years past due to nor’easters and hurricanes. Now the only protection in place are huge sandbags and artificial dunes. This beach nourishment project will involve building out a 100 yard wide beach to provide a greater buffer zone between the ocean and Highway 12.
