Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard, Hatteras Island Commissioner Mary Ellon Ballance and Dare County Manager Bobby Outten traveled to Raleigh on Thursday, March 5, 2026 to advocate for urgent solutions to the recurring erosion and storm impacts affecting N.C. Highway 12 on Hatteras Island—an essential transportation lifeline for residents, emergency services, and the Outer Banks’ tourism-driven economy.

County officials attended the North Carolina Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee meeting to brief state leaders on the ongoing challenges along Highway 12, including chronic erosion, overwash, roadway closures and the associated public safety, economic and quality-of-life impacts. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) was also in attendance, along with the region’s Rural Planning Organization (RPO), which reinforced the significant regional transportation concerns tied to maintaining reliable access on Hatteras Island.

Following the committee meeting, Chairman Woodard, Commissioner Ballance and Manager Outten met with Senators Bill Rabon and Michael Lazzara to further discuss Highway 12’s needs and potential pathways forward. The discussion also included coastal resiliency priorities such as state beach nourishment funding and the limitations associated with hardened structures.

These state advocacy efforts build on ongoing work by the Dare County Board of Commissioners to pursue both near-term measures and long-term strategies. At the Board’s meeting on Monday, the Board hired Greer Beaty Consulting to assist in developing coordinated short-, mid- and long-term strategies to address recurring closures of N.C. Highway 12 on Hatteras Island, including identifying potential funding and implementation pathways.

In November 2025, Chairman Woodard sent a letter to all members of the North Carolina General Assembly outlining Dare County’s concerns and priorities regarding Highway 12, and urging increased state support for sustainable solutions.

“We appreciate the opportunity to speak directly with members of the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee and to continue these conversations with our state leaders," said Chairman Woodard. "Dare County is grateful for their attention to this issue and for the partnership needed to move meaningful solutions forward.” 

Dare County Manager/Attorney Bobby Outten, Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard and Dare County Commissioner Mary Ellon Ballance, who also serves on the Albemarle Rural Planning Organization, spoke during the meeting.