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The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) Coastal Reserve has temporarily closed the Currituck Banks Reserve parking lot, boardwalk and trail for repairs. The closure, which began October 31 and is expected to last through the end of the year, is necessary to maintain the safety of boardwalk and trail users, noted a press release from the Department of Environmental Quality.

The Currituck Banks Reserve repair project will replace the aging decking boards, seat boards on current benches, railings and side guards of the existing boardwalk. The structural components of the boardwalk (i.e. joists and pilings) will be replaced as needed depending on current condition. All work will take place within the current footprint of the existing boardwalk. These replacements are identified as a facility need in the N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve’s 2020-25 management plan.

The Currituck Banks Reserve parking lot, boardwalk and trail are expected to reopen in January 2023.

The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve received more than $122,000 in funding for repairs to the Currituck Banks Reserve boardwalk from the N.C. Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Grant Program during the 2020-21 grant cycle and was one of 12 projects that received funding. The N.C. Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Program is a grant program administered by the Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Coastal Management that funds land acquisition, site improvements and amenities for public access to coastal waters.

The Currituck Banks Reserve is one of 10 sites in the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve protected for research, education and compatible traditional uses. The boardwalk at the Currituck Banks Reserve was constructed in 2002 and provides access for walking, photography and nature observation. The boardwalk winds through maritime forest and swamp before ending at a deck offering views of the Currituck Sound, as well as providing access to the trailhead of the Maritime Forest Trail at the site.

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