Agencies Seek Public Comment on N.C. Department of Transportation’s Proposal to Move N.C. Highway 12 at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge’s Visitor Center on Hatteras Island

News Release Date: November 10, 2026

MANTEO, N.C. - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service invite the public to provide input on the North Carolina Department of Transportation's proposal to realign a section of N.C. Highway 12 near the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center on Hatteras Island. Public comments will be accepted from Nov. 10 through Nov. 24, 2026.

The USFWS has received a right-of-way application from NCDOT to move approximately 3,000 feet of highway about 150 feet west of its current alignment. The proposed realignment would require demolition and reconstruction or relocation of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, the NPS managed restroom facility and wastewater system, and associated parking areas.

NCDOT's proposal is intended to reduce the highway's vulnerability to coastal hazards, including ocean overwash that has flooded and damaged the roadway and caused multiday closures.

Under the proposal, the visitor center and restroom facility would be reconstructed or relocated to an alternate site nearby. A small parking area would remain near the existing visitor center to allow for access to the North Pond Wildlife Trail and Refuge impoundments.

Project information and instructions for submitting comments are available on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website. Additionally, public comments may be submitted via email to [email protected] or by mail to P.O. Box 1969, Manteo, NC 27954.

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