DOT says Highway 12 could reopen Thursday morning

RODANTHE, N.C. (WITN) - Highway 12 on the Outer Banks could reopen to traffic on Thursday morning.

The Department of Transportation says the highway was shut down early Tuesday morning between Oregon Inlet and Rodanthe due to sand and overwash caused by the storm off the coast.

Crews said the overnight high tide wasn’t helping their efforts to reopen the important highway, as more overwash and sand covers the road at the Pea Island Visitors Center and at the s-curves on the island.

The DOT had workers out at first light this morning trying to remove sand from the road and rebuild protectives dunes and berms ahead of this afternoon’s high tide at around 5:30 p.m.

It is hoped that the highway can reopen by mid-morning Thursday, but the DOT says that depends on how much overwash comes in from the next two high tide cycles.

Meteorologists call for slowly improving conditions tonight into Thursday.