Despite encountering bad weather and mechanical issues in recent weeks, progress continues on the dredging of the Hatteras ferry channel. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project will clear a 10 to12-foot depth along the route between the ferry facilities on Hatteras and Ocracoke.

The dredge Richmond completed work in the Rollinson Channel last week and is currently working in the northwestern side of the Hatteras Inlet. It has encountered considerable shoaling as a result of recent storms that hit the coast, but the project is considered 75 percent complete.

The dredging project began in early December, but shallow channel conditions forced the suspension of the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry route on Jan. 18. An alternate route between the two docks began operations on February 22, and will continue until the channel has been cleared enough to allow the regular route to be used again.

The original expected completion date for work was March 31, but because of the weather delays and some mechanical problems with the dredge, the project is now expected to wrap up in mid-April.

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