Coupled with the completion of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge across Oregon Inlet in 1964, Highway 12 has played a key role in the development of the Outer Banks. Virtually every part for every house, business and boat has moved along the road as the islands have swelled with development. But the transient nature of North Carolina's barrier islands has made life miserable for the highway. As the islands continue their inevitable march to the southwest, the road is under relentless assault from the drifting dunes and frequent ocean overwash. Emergency maintenance to portions of the highway through the problem portions of the Pea Island Wildlife Refuge has become routine.
Officials tip their hats to the ocean.
It's bad, with lots of earth and big boulders across the road. Highway 12, the vital lifeline of the Outer Banks that has served islanders so well for the last half-century, is approaching a critical point in its life span. While life on Hatteras Island without the highway might seem inconceivable, officials acknowledge that a critical break could come with any storm. If that occurs, islanders and visitors might once again struggle with the 108 roads to Hatteras. All Rights Reserved.