It won’t happen tomorrow, but it looks at though a multi-use path will be part of the Hatteras Lighthouse experience fairly soon. The 1.6-mile-long, 10-12-foot-wide paved multi-use pathway will have two segments—a main one leading to the beach and the lighthouse and another that has north past the lighthouse.
The plan also calls for additional visitor amenities and improvements.
A few months ago in a reporter’s roundtable, Dave Hallac, the Outer Banks Group supervisor, talked about the multi-use path but made it clear there were a few regulatory issues that had to be completed. The Outer Banks Group includes Cape Hatteras National Seashore as well as the Wright Brothers Memorial and Fort Raleigh, the site of the Lost Colony.
The regulatory issues have been resolved, mostly a Finding of No Significant Impact for the project, so it can move forward.
There are still a couple fo important steps. As an example, any road project that uses federal dollars must include a series of public hearings. Admittedly it’s tough to see what objection anyone would have to the project, but it’s still part of the process.
If all goes as planned, construction will begin in the fall and continue into the winter. That should give a realistic timeline for the new path to be completed by spring of next year, certainly in time for the summer season.
At this point in time there is no Buxton multi-use path, although there have been some discussions on the subject. It would be nice to have a bike path connecting with the Hatteras Lighthouse path.
There are so many ways to enjoy the beauty of the Outer Banks. From Corolla to Hatteras Village, from sound to sea there is a whole world to explore. Be sure to make your Brindley Beach Vacations reservation to begin exploring this sandbar by the sea.