Since the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry route suspended operations Jan. 18, progress has been made by the contractor hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the federal channel.

The project began Dec. 1, 2012, and since that time the contractor has removed 76,751 cubic yards of material to a required depth of 10-feet, with two feet of over dredging. The Dredge Richmond, owned by Cottrell Contracting, is now located in the vicinity of navigation aid 9A. The project is approximately 60 percent complete by quantity.

The USACE will be providing the Ferry Division a weekly report to help keep residents updated on the progress of the project.

For more information about the Hatteras ferry route suspension, travelers can sign-up to receive messages on Twitter by going to www.twitter.com/ncdot_ferry or visit the N.C. 12 Facebook page.