The NCDOT Ferry Division’s Hatteras-Ocracoke route returned to its original route with the start of service on Sunday morning. The move is the result of collaboration between the Ferry Division, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Corps of Engineers, which is responsible for keeping the Hatteras Inlet clear, had been dredging out a 10 to 12-foot deep path for ferry travel since May 31. That work wrapped up earlier on Saturday. The Coast Guard then marked the navigational aids for the route. The final step in the process saw the Ferry Division make test runs along the 40-minute path between the Hatteras and Ocracoke ferry stations to ensure it would be a safe trip for passengers, the crew and the ferry vessels.
This will be the first time there has been ferry service on the original route since Jan. 18, when an overnight storm made it too shallow for ferries to travel safely. The alternate route between Hatteras and Ocracoke has been in use since Jan. 22.
[mappress]
Press Release, June 17, 2013