N.C. 12 is open for regular traffic on Pea and Hatteras islands for the first time since Hurricane Sandy covered miles of the Outer Banks road with tons of sand in late October, and washed out a half-mile section of the road just north of Rodanthe.
Sandy destroyed dunes and sandbags that NCDOT rebuilds every couple of years along the most vulnerable stretch at Rodanthe - and that left the road open to more damage when a couple of nor'easters swept through in Sandy's wake. Looking south in this fresh DOT photo, you can see that the dunes haven't been rebuilt yet. That ocean is mighty close to the road.
NCDOT says it will continue work stacking sandbags and piling up more artificial dunes -- until the next storm wipes it out again.
Bruce Siceloff reports on traffic and transportation. A News & Observer reporter, editor and blogger since 1976, he took over the