NC road officials, Perdue working on NC 12 washout

RODANTHE, N.C. -- North Carolina officials are surveying damage caused by the remants of Tropical Storm Ida and working to fix the major north-south road on the southern end of the Outer Banks.

Gov. Beverly Perdue prepared to visit the Outer Banks on Tuesday morning and a washed-out stretch of N.C. 12 north of Rodanthe on Hatteras Island.

State road crews have been working since Friday removing water and debris from the quarter-mile stretch of road. They've created a temporary one-lane road around the mess for four-wheel drive vehicles heading to and from Nags Head.

The state also was ready to open before dawn Tuesday a temporary ferry route between Rodanthe and the Dare County mainland. The state also wants federal money to pay for cleanup and repairs.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)