The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has proposed to add a second vessel on the yet-to-open Ocracoke Express ferry service between the state's Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands.
The proposal comes under the NCDOT Draft 2020-2029 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) which includes projects aimed at significantly improving the traffic conditions of North Carolina's roads and waterways over the next decade.
The NCDOT states that having a second ferry will enable them to better accommodate the projected significant increase in the number of people who visit Ocracoke Island, a popular tourist destination in North Carolina.
Construction of the vessel is expected to begin in 2027.
The first ferry was designed by Elliott Bay Design Group of Seattle and is being built by US Boat Works of Kansas City, Kansas. It is scheduled for delivery to the NCDOT in February 2019 in time for the start of operational sailing in May.