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North Carolina ferry route temporarily closes due to staffing shortage

The NCDOT Ferry Division had to temporarily shut down one of their routes to re-allocate workers their busier Hatteras-Ocracoke route.

CURRITUCK, N.C. — As the labor shortage continues, restaurants and hotels aren’t the only ones who need more staff.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division had to temporarily shut down one of their routes to re-allocate their workers.

People living on Knotts Island now must take the long way around to get to Currituck because the Currituck-Knotts Island Ferry is closed until Saturday, July 31.

“At this point, we don’t have the staff to man the full summer schedule across the full system, and at this point, with the demand being so high right now on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route, we have opted to send the Currituck crew down to Hatteras for those four days,” said Tim Hass, with the Ferry Division.

Hass said they tried to hire enough workers in time for the busy season.

“Every year, the Ferry Division hires temporary workers to staff the expanded summer schedules,” he said. “This year, like many businesses on the Outer Banks and across the country, we’re facing a labor shortage.”

The Hatteras-Ocracoke is their busiest summertime route, while Currituck-Knotts is the slowest.

But Charles Bennett, who lives in Currituck, said to the people living on the island and the tourists, the closure is an inconvenience.

“Right now, the need isn’t as great because it’s summertime. But this whole ferry system is set up, if you look at times, the whole thing is set up for the kids coming to school,” he said. “Right now, it’s summertime, so you got a lot of motorcycle clubs doing rides for a lot of good reasons.”

He said for people getting on or off Knotts Island, it’s going to take longer.

“These people that live over here on the island, they now have to drive about an hour, hour and 10 minutes or so because of traffic in Moyock and all that stuff.”

Again, the service will restart on July 31 and Hass said this is the only route affected.

If you are headed to the Outer Banks and need to take the Hatteras ferry or any ferry operated by the North Carolina Ferry System, masks are still required in terminals and passenger lounges regardless of vaccination status.

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