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Millis and Great Lake Roads to close due to impacts from Hurricane Florence
Release Date: Sep 25, 2018
New Bern, NC, September 23, 2018 – The Croatan National Forest is closing Millis and Great Lake Roads as a result of significant damage from Hurricane Florence.
A box culvert on the west end of Millis Road is washed out and the road is impassable. Water has pushed through on one side of the culvert intersecting the road creating a hazard to thru traffic. In addition, a bridge on Great Lake Road has been undermined by water and is structurally unsound.
Forest officials caution the public not to access these two roads until they can be repaired. While these roads have been assessed and deemed unsafe for motorized use, they are likely not the only roads in this condition. As Forest Service crews continue to assess road conditions, additional closures may be put in place.
Forest Service law enforcement officers will be preventing vehicles from accessing these roads until further notice. An emergency closure order is still in effect for all recreation sites and their access roads and will soon be revised to include Millis and Great Lake Roads.
Recreation sites and their access roads will be reopened as they are determined safe for the public. The McFee Type 3 incident management team has assumed operational authority on Sunday, Sept. 23.
The current closure order with a list of recreation sites and associated roads is available online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nfsnc/alerts-notices/?aid=49233. For information updates, please continue to check our website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc or the National Forests in North Carolina Facebook page at @NFsNCarolina.
“We ask the public to be patient as we work through the process of reopening impacted areas on the forest. Our rapid response teams have completed initial assessments of most of our recreation sites and we’ve conducted an overflight of the forest,” said District Ranger Kevin Knesek of the Croatan National Forest. “So far, reports indicate significant damage to some recreation sites and a review of aerial photographs show numerous roads and trails are impassable due to downed trees and culvert washouts. Respecting closures will ensure your safety, and prevent further natural resource damage.”
The Croatan National Forest office, located at 141 E. Fisher Avenue, New Bern, will reopen Monday. The telephone number is (252) 638-5628, but service is intermittent.